Crossover Trilogy - Chaos Control
by RaceProUK
Summary: A year after the Brevon Crisis, and Avalice is beginning a period of accelerated technological growth. In the Shang Tu labs, two ambitious hounds are working on an entirely new type of machine: an interdimensional portal generator. However, their first test doesn't go according to plan, and it's not long before Lilac and Carol are in the thick of the action on another planet…
1. Prologue

[One year after the Brevon Incident]

In the eastern reaches of the Origin Kingdoms lies the city‑state of Shang Tu, a beautiful cerulean city surrounded by numerous humble villages. The city itself, though smaller than the sprawling metropolis that is Shang Mu, is a hive of activity under the midday sun, its citizens going about their daily lives. From the most noble of the spiritualists to the lowliest of the working class, everyone plays their part in keeping the machinery of the most theological of the three Kingdoms moving smoothly.

At the heart of the city, rising majestically above the surrounding buildings, is the Palace of the Royal Magister. High in the main tower, the Magister himself watches over his fiefdom in his usual serene manner. But it is in the subterranean laboratories deep within the Palace where this tale begins, with two hounds finishing a machine that is the first of its kind in Avalician history.

* * *

"By the Ancients Ernie, I think we've done it!" the russet bloodhound exclaims.

"I think you're right Eric!" the jasmine spaniel agrees. "And it's magnificent!"

The two hounds stand back from the machine they have just completed and take a few moments to admire their invention.

"Do you think it'll work?" Ernie asks.

"Y'know, I'm not sure," Eric admits. "This is the first interdimensional portal generator ever in the history of Avalice, and it exists only because Sash Lilac recovered that Pangu thing from that lagoon."

"Don't forget all the bits we're using that were recovered from Brevon's Dreadnought," Ernie reminds.

"Too right, my friend," Eric agrees. "Still, even with the limitations of Avalician technology, I think we can have confidence this device will work."

"Who will have the honour of testing it though?"

"Dunno. Flip a coin?"

"Sure."

Eric pulls a coin from his pocket. "Call in the air," he instructs as he flicks it high and tumbling.

"Heads," Ernie calls.

The coin lands on the concrete floor, bounces twice, then rattles to a rest.

"Tails!" Eric cries enthusiastically.

"Go on then," Ernie sighs in graceful defeat.

Eric bounds over to the control panel and initiates the start‑up sequence. "OK, activating in five… four… three… two… one… now!"

Eric throws the switch.

The portal generator begins to emit a low quiet hum that swiftly builds in pitch and volume until it's almost ultrasonic. The room begins to shake with the intensity of energy flowing into the machine.

"That's not good!" Eric yells over the noise.

"Shut it off!" Ernie cries, on the verge of panic.

As Eric reaches for the emergency kill‑switch, there's a blinding flash, followed by silence and darkness.

"Eric?" Ernie asks as the emergency lighting flickers into life. "You OK?"

"I'm OK," Eric assures. "What happened?"

Suddenly, the door to the lab slams open, revealing a furious peach hedgehog with pink‑tipped purple spines fully erect. "What on Avalice are you two fools playing at?" she barks.

"We're sorry Sally," Eric apologises. "Our machine overloaded, and‑"

"And now the security measures have locked us all down here until power can be restored!" Sally Flynn finishes angrily. "And I was just about to go for lunch!"

"You should keep some snacks in your lab," Ernie suggests. "That's what we do."

"Really?" Sally asks. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to share, would you?"

"Well‑" Ernie begins.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share, would you?" Sally repeats, slowly and sternly.

"Just give her something," Eric instructs.

* * *

By the time power is restored, the two hounds had concluded that their machine had failed, burning itself out in the process. They were right in that the machine had in fact burnt itself out. But not before it had generated an interdimensional portal deep in the heart of Dragon Valley…


	2. The Phenomenon

Westside Island, in the Acorn Archipelago, and home of the capital city of Mobotropolis. It is the day after the week‑long celebrations marking the reassembling of the planet after the Shattered World Crisis, and life is returning to normal for the subjects of the Kingdom of Acorn. As the last of the decorations are taken down, and as the last of the confetti and ticker tape is swept away, a blue streak zips through the streets, heading for the Palace at a speed so great, people only notice when its already disappeared around the next corner.

The blue blur doesn't slow for the palace gate until the last second, stopping almost in an instant, revealing himself to be a hedgehog with spines slicked back to resemble oversized curved sawteeth. With arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently, he waits for the gate to be opened. As he waits, a yellow‑orange twin‑tailed fox lands beside him.

"Hey Sonic!" the fox greets.

"Hey Tails, best bud!" Sonic returns, turning to high‑five his kitsune friend, his impatience forgotten. "You get summoned too?"

"Yeah," Tails confirms. "A hero's job never ends, it seems."

"Gotta stay vigilant," Sonic agrees. "You never know when old Buttnik will strike back. Would've liked a couple of days off though."

"You, take time off?" Tails chuckles.

"Sure," Sonic smiles back. "Chili dogs don't eat themselves!"

The two friends share a good laugh. As their laughter dies, the palace gate opens to reveal a tan chipmunk with auburn hair. "Ah good, you're both here," she greets with a smile.

"Hey Sal," Sonic returns. "What's the emergency?"

"That's just it: we're not sure," Princess Sally Acorn replies. "Nicole picked up some strange readings this morning, but she can't make sense of them. They're like nothing we've ever seen before. I want you two to go and check it out in person."

"You want me to go do science stuff?" Sonic asks, a little confused.

"No, I want Tails to go do 'science stuff'," Sally replies, teasingly mimicking Sonic for the phrase 'science stuff'. "I want you to go in case things turn nasty," she continues, handing a handheld computer to Sonic. "And take better care of Nicole this time," she adds. "Especially as she's only had her new handheld for a few days. Dr Ellidy worked very hard to make it for us at _very_ short notice."

"I always take care of my friends," Sonic assures.

"Really?" Sally asks teasingly. "Because the last time I trusted you alone with Nicole, it took two hours to clean all the chili dog residue from the keypad."

"We were playing _Columns_ , and you know gaming makes me hungry," Sonic offers as an excuse.

"Hmm," Sally muses. "Maybe Tails should take her…"

"Sal, I promise, I'll consume zero chili dogs on this mission," Sonic promises, taking the handheld.

Sally eyes Sonic suspiciously for a moment. "Tails, make sure he keeps his promise."

"You're not coming with us?" Tails asks.

"Royal duties," Sally shrugs.

"It's cool Sal," Sonic assures. "We'll handle it."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Sonic and Tails arrive at the site of the strange phenomenon. As Tails lands the Tornado, Sonic jumps off the upper wing and lands in front of the phenomenon itself. "So Nicole," he begins, opening the handheld computer, "what am I looking at?"

The face of a lynx appears on the screen of the handheld. "It appears to be a localised disc‑shaped highly‑charged electromagnetic phenomenon with unusual gravitational readings," Nicole explains.

"In English?" Sonic prompts.

"It's a big sparking disc you don't want to touch," Tails explains, joining Sonic in front of the phenomenon.

Sonic looks at the phenomenon again, taking in the green maelstrom and the blue lightning circling its edge. "Wasn't going to touch it anyway," he replies nonchalantly, handing Nicole to Tails. "I'll check the perimeter for badniks while you two get started on the science stuff," he decides, sprinting off before the others can respond.

"Shall we get started?" Tails asks as he fixes a Power Ring to the top of the screen.

The lynx face disappears from the screen as Nicole materialises in hologram form beside the fox. "Ah, good to be free," she sighs contentedly. "Sure, let's get started."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sonic returns to the site of the phenomenon, his patrol completed without incident. "How's it go‑" he begins as he slides to a halt, stopping himself when he realises the phenomenon has disappeared, and there's no sign of Tails or Nicole. _The Tornado's there, so I'm in the right place._ "Tails? Nicole? Where are you guys?" Sonic calls out.

There is no answer.

 _They can't have gone back to Mobotropolis..._ Sonic looks around for any sign of his friends, but sees nothing. However, just as he's about to run back to the city to get help, he spots the handheld computer on the ground, the Power Ring split in two beside it. "Nicole!" Sonic exclaims, snatching the computer off the ground. "Come on, turn on!" he commands, pressing all the buttons, trying to get a response.

But there is no response.

 _Sal's gonna have my spines for this…_ Sonic dashes to the Tornado. Fishing out a second Power Ring from a storage pocket, he connects it to the handheld's screen. "Come on Nicole, boot up or whatever it is you do!"

Slowly, the screen flickers into life. At first, all that can be seen is green text on a black background, but eventually the text is replaced with a fuzzy image of the lynx herself. "Sonic? Is that you?" Nicole asks, her discomfort obvious even through the distortion.

"Nicole! You're OK!" Sonic replies, relieved. "Yes, it's me. Where's Tails?"

"He's not with you?" Nicole asks.

"He's nowhere to be seen," Sonic explains.

"Hold on," Nicole requests. "I have some bad sectors that need repairing."

"You have what that need what?"

"My memories are jumbled, and I need to sort them out."

"Well, hurry up and unjumble them!" Sonic commands.

"I'm trying," Nicole assures. "I need to turn off my I/O for a minute," she adds a moment later.

"What does that mean?" Sonic asks just as the screen turns blank except for a small spinning cog. "Oh…"

A minute later, the lynx reappears, distortion‑free. "Sorry Sonic," Nicole apologises. "I needed to devote all my resources to repairing the bad sectors. I'm afraid I wasn't able to recover all the data, but I'll tell you what I can."

"Nicole…" Sonic sighs.

"Sorry. What I meant to say was there are gaps in my memory, but I'll tell you what I remember," Nicole explains. "We started off with‑"

"Just cut to the part where Tails disappears!" Sonic snaps, shaking the handheld.

The handheld's screen flickers as Nicole clutches her head. "Ow! Take it easy!" Nicole snaps back as the screen returns to normal. "Look, I can't remember much, but what I do remember is Tails was taking some really close‑up measurements of the phenomenon, then there was this flash, and it must have knocked me offline, because the next thing I remember is seeing you." The screen goes blank again. A moment later, a gloved hand snatches the handheld from Sonic's hands. "Now stop shaking me!" hologram Nicole barks.

"Sorry," Sonic apologises.

Nicole turns her attention to the handheld computer. After tapping on the keypad for a few moments, her expression turns from annoyance to worry. "You're not going to like this."

"What?"

"I'm looking at the readings again, and… there's a chance that phenomenon was an interdimensional portal."

"An inter‑what now?" Sonic asks.

"Like a Genesis Portal," Nicole explains. "But it's not actually one. It appears to have been created by another method, possibly even in another dimension entirely."

"So where is Tails?" Sonic asks. "And more importantly, how do we get him back?"


	3. Lost On Avalice

Deep in the heart of Dragon Valley, in the pleasant heat of the early afternoon sun, two teenage girls are having yet another race as they make their way home from Shang Tu. To passers‑by, their forms are indistinct. All that can be discerned is one blur is green, red, and accompanied by the shrill howl of a motorcycle engine pushed to the limit, while the other is purple, blue, and silent except for the rush of the wind as she passes by.

The two blurs constantly swap the lead of the race, taking several sneaky shortcuts as they do so. Yet despite the tricks, their racing is clean, neither getting in the path of the other. As they race, they blast through a clearing, narrowly avoiding the prone form of an unconscious twin‑tailed fox sprawled in the middle. At first, it seems that the two blurs either ignored the fox, or simply did not notice him. But a few moments later, the purple blur returns, sliding to a halt to reveal herself a purple dragon‑girl clothed in a practical yet flattering outfit in a rich shade of blue. With concern in her eyes, she crouches beside the fox and checks for a pulse.

Soon after, the green and red blur returns, halting a few yards away to reveal she is a two‑tone green wildcat astride a cherry‑red motorcycle. "Who's that?" she asks as she kills the engine, dismounts, and joins the dragon‑girl at the fox's side.

"Don't know for sure," the dragon answers. "At least he's alive. Uninjured too, as far as I can tell. Come on, let's get him to the treehouse and patch him up."

* * *

 _Ugh… what happened?_ Tails slowly opens his eyes as he stirs awake. At first, his vision is a blur, but it soon clears enough for him to conclude that he is indoors. As his other senses return to him, he can hear the rustle of the leaves and the songs of the birds. Stiffly pushing himself into a sitting position, he concludes he's on a sofa in the den of what appears to be a wooden treehouse. "Hello?"

"Ah, good, you're awake," the dragon‑girl replies, emerging from the kitchen with two cups of fresh‑brewed green tea.

"Where am I?" Tails asks.

"My treehouse in Dragon Valley," the dragon replies, setting the drinks down on the coffee table.

"Dragon Valley?" Tails responds in surprise. "That's not in the Royal Hills Zone…"

"Royal Hills Zone?" the dragon asks, confused.

"On Westside Island," Tails explains; the dragon remains confused. "Acorn Archipelago? Mobotropolis?"

"Nowhere here with those names," the dragon informs. "The closest cities are Shang Mu and Shang Tu, and the closest island is part of Shuigang."

"How did I get to Chun‑nan?" Tails asks himself. "The phenomenon! It must have been a teleport!" he concludes.

"Have we met before?" the dragon asks suddenly. "I'm getting this weird sense of déjà vu…"

"Not me," Tails answers. "The name's Tails, by the way."

"Lilac," the dragon replies. "Where's Chun‑nan? It's not a place around here."

"Sure it is," Tails mistakenly corrects. "We're in the‑ wait… Something's not right here… What planet is this?"

"Avalice, of course!" Lilac chuckles.

" _What‽_ " Tails cries in surprise. "That wasn't a Genesis Portal! How did I end up in another dimension? And more importantly, how do I get back?"

"Wait… Did you say 'Genesis Portal'?" Lilac asks.

"Yeah," Tails confirms.

"That explains the déjà vu," Lilac concludes. "We met another version of you several months ago in another dimension."

"We?"

"Me and my best friend," Lilac explains. "Speaking of, where is she?"

"Just finishing up work on my bike," the green wildcat answers as she enters the den from outside, her fur splattered with oil and grease. "Oh hey, you're awake!" she then directs to Tails. "Carol the Wildcat, at your service!" she adds with a wide toothy grin. "So, whaddya doing so far from home?"

"I don't know," Tails admits. "All I remember is I was taking some close‑up measurements of this strange phenomenon, and then there was a flash, and then I woke up here."

"We promise we'll find a way to get you home," Lilac assures Tails. "Until then, you're more than welcome to stay with us."

"Does Avalice have interdimensional capability?" Tails asks.

"No," Lilac answers, "but for the last year, Avalice's technological development has accelerated due to an… unexpected extra‑terrestrial encounter," she recalls, subconsciously taking hold of a hair whip. "I'll put in some calls, see if there's anything promising. Oh, one more thing: Carol?"

"Yes?" Carol replies.

"Do you mind if Tails borrows a pair of your shorts?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in Tails' dimension, Sonic is racing at top speed back to Mobotropolis. Darting expertly through the streets, he heads directly for the Palace. Skidding to a halt at the main entrance, he bangs heavily on the gate. "Sal! We have an emergency!"

The gate opens to reveal a royal guard. "I'm afraid the princess isn't here," he informs.

"Where is she?" Sonic asks impatiently.

"She's overseeing repairs to _Sky Patrol_ ," the guard explains.

"Why didn't you say so?" Sonic replies, dashing off before the guard can respond.

* * *

A minute later, Sonic arrives at _Sky Patrol's_ dock, boarding the ship via the main boarding ramp. After a few moments sprinting through the corridors, he finds Sally on the bridge. "Finally!" Sonic exclaims in relief as he halts behind the princess.

Sally turns in surprise, relaxing when she sees it's Sonic. "Finished already?" she asks. "Wait, where's Tails and Nicole?"

"Nicole's right here," Sonic answers, handing the handheld computer back to Sally. "But Tails has disappeared, and we don't know where to."

Sally opens the handheld, taps in the command to link it to _Sky Patrol's_ systems, then opens communications to the engine room. "Rotor, how long before we can launch?"

"About fifteen minutes, Sally," Rotor replies, his voice slightly distorted. "Why do you ask?"

"Tails has disappeared," Sally informs.

There's a brief pause. "Make that three minutes," Rotor replies.

"Thanks." Sally closes communications to the engine room. "Nicole, what happened?" she asks as the face of the lynx appears on the screen.

"We were analysing the phenomenon," Nicole reports. "We were getting some good data, but we needed more. Tails decided to get some readings a lot closer than we'd originally intended. At first, everything went smoothly, but then there was this blinding flash. There must have been a simultaneous EMP as I was immediately knocked offline. The EMP also corrupted some of my memory, and while I've repaired what I can, I still have some bad sectors. Unfortunately, the bad blocks contain a lot of the data we gathered."

"I'll hook you up to _Sky Patrol_ ," Sally suggests. "The additional power should help you recover the data."

It takes only a moment to connect the handheld to _Sky Patrol's_ main computer bank. With the additional power at her disposal, Nicole makes quick work of recovering the bad data. A minute later, she appears as a hologram once more to interpret and explain.

"There's still a few gaps, but I've recovered enough to work out what happened," Nicole begins. "The phenomenon was an interdimensional portal, like a Genesis Portal. While it's not clear how it was generated, it's certain it was generated by a very different method than a Genesis Portal is. It also originates from another dimension, and it's that dimension that Tails is currently lost in."

"Can you generate another one?" Sally asks.

"I'm not sure," Nicole answers. "Even if we had the power of all seven Chaos Emeralds, we'd need a machine to harness it correctly. And without knowing how the portal we analysed was generated, there's no guarantee we'd be able to open one to the right dimension."

"There must be _something_ we can do!" Sonic exclaims in frustration.

"We'll find a way to get Tails back," Sally assures. "But until we know more, there's little we can do." Sally pauses a moment to think. "Since one appeared, there may be more. Nicole, can you run a global scan for any other phenomena that match the signature of the one Tails travelled through?"

"I'll do what I can," Nicole promises. "But we'll need to be airborne for the best coverage."

"We'll be able to take off‑" Sally starts, halting as she feels the ship lurch slightly as it takes off. "…about three seconds ago," she finishes.

"Hm." Nicole pauses a moment. "She's not handling quite as smoothly as I remember." Another brief pause. "Ah, the starboard thrusters are out of alignment."

"Is that a problem?" Sally asks.

"No," Nicole assures. "I can adjust accordingly, though I apologise if the ride is a bit bumpy."

* * *

As _Sky Patrol_ rises into the air over Mobotropolis, on Avalice, three blurs set off from the treehouse in the direction of Shang Tu.


	4. Homeward Bound

Mid‑afternoon, and the three blurs arrive at Shang Tu. They make good time through the outskirts, but as the traffic thickens near the centre, their progress is slowed. However, they make it to the Palace without being recognised.

Unfortunately for Lilac and Carol, outside the main Palace entrance is a tour group who spot them immediately.

"Are they who I think they are?" one of the tour group asks another.

"How do you not recognise them?" the second person returns.

"Ohmygosh! I never thought I'd see them for real!" a third squeaks.

"This is getting old," Lilac sighs.

"The perils of being world‑famous heroes," Carol reminds. "Tails, you may want to step to one side."

"Why?" Tails asks.

The onrushing tour group knocking him over in their efforts to approach the saviours of Avalice is his answer.

* * *

A few minutes later, Lilac and Carol finally pull themselves away from the tour group with the aid of a half dozen Shang Tu Royal Guards. Once inside the Palace, they reunite with a slightly bruised Tails.

"You guys must save the world a lot to get that sort of attention, huh?" Tails asks.

"We've only saved it once," Lilac admits. "But while doing that, we did also manage to bring peace to Shang Mu, Shang Tu, and Shuigang, averting civil war in the process. And we also resolved an energy crisis that could have crippled all three kingdoms."

"Wow!" Tails replies. "That sounds so cool!"

"Well…" Lilac pauses a second. "Honestly, we're not really comfortable with all the attention. I don't mind being known as a hero, in fact it's kinda cool, but sometimes I wish we had our former anonymity."

"Speak for yourself, Miss Heropants!" Carol grins.

"Admit it Carol, sometimes you wish no‑one knew who we are," Lilac replies.

"…yeah," Carol admits. "I do miss the good old days, when it was just me and you stealing from rich people."

"And the only person we had to worry about recognising us was General Gong," Lilac reminisces.

"You used to be thieves?" Tails asks, confused.

"It's a long story," Lilac confirms. "We'll give you the short version on the way down to the labs."

* * *

"…and then I looked up, and saw this giant pinwheel in the sky!" Carol finishes. "We just knew it was the Kingdom Stone, which we thought was destroyed, except it had transformed instead!"

"And since then, the three Kingdoms have had more energy than they know what to do with," Lilac adds. "Word then got out we were responsible for defeating Brevon‑" Lilac subconsciously grabs a hair whip "‑and before we knew it, we were proclaimed saviours and given lifetime royal pardons by the Magister, Mayor Zao, and King Dail."

"And parades!" Carol reminds. "And so much _sushi!_ I must have eaten ten times my weight in just one week!"

"Didn't realise you cut back," Lilac teases.

Carol doesn't respond, instead simply looking unamused.

"Well, here we are," Lilac announces as they stop in front of a security door. "The Shang Tu Royal Laboratories. With the salvage from the crashed Dreadnought and the knowledge recovered from the robot I found in Pangu Lagoon, scientists and engineers are working on the next generation of Avalician technology."

"Shang Mu has more bigger labs," Carol recalls. "Why didn't we go there instead?"

"Because the Shang Mu labs only work on things that Mayor Zao can use for re‑election or profit," Lilac reminds. "Whereas the Shang Tu labs focus on the more ambitious and esoteric."

"Esoteric?" Carol asks, confused.

"Unusual," Lilac explains. "And I think interdimensional travel easily counts as unusual."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tails asks.

"Our escort," Lilac answers.

As if on cue, the security door opens to reveal a peach hedgehog with pink‑tipped purple spines, dressed in a black tank top and blue capris under her protective lab coat. "Ah, hello Miss Lilac!" she greets, bowing respectfully. "And hello Miss Tea," she directs to Carol. "And hello… I'm afraid we've never met before," she finishes, speaking to Tails. "I'm Sally Flynn."

"I'm Tails," Tails responds.

"An unusual name," Sally comments. "Though I can see why you have it," she remarks, spotting his twin tails. "Shall we proceed?" she asks the trio.

"Of course," Lilac agrees. "And please don't feel you have to be formal with us. Just call us 'Lilac' and 'Carol'."

"If you insist," Sally agrees. "So, what brings you here?"

"To see if I can get home," Tails explains.

"If I may, why did you come to the labs?" Sally asks, confused.

"He didn't arrive by conventional means," Lilac begins.

* * *

"Interdimensional portal, huh?" Sally asks once Lilac and Tails have finished explaining what had happened earlier in the day. "Y'know, there are a couple of incompetent hounds trying to get such a device working. Their latest attempt took out the entire lab's power supply around lunchtime, and we've only just got back online."

"Sounds like they're the guys to talk to," Lilac decides.

"Assuming they haven't blown themselves up, that is," Sally remarks. "Come on, I'll take you to their lab."

* * *

"Well, Ernie," Eric sighs, "looks like we've been set back a few weeks thanks to that failure."

"Don't be so down," Ernie comforts. "Not everything can work first time."

"True," Eric agrees. "But it would be nice if something we made _did_ work first time."

Before Ernie can reply, the duo is interrupted by the door opening. "Brought you two some VIPs," Sally greets flatly as she leads Lilac, Carol, and Tails into the lab.

"Can you knock next‑" Ernie starts, stopping when he sees the purple dragoness and the green wildcat. "My most sincere apologies, most honourable heroes!" he continues, bowing deeply. "We are humbled by your presence‑"

"It's OK, really," Lilac interrupts hastily. "Just call us 'Lilac' and 'Carol'. And this is our twin‑tailed fox friend Tails. He's the reason we're here: earlier, he fell through an interdimensional portal, but it closed before he could get back."

"Well, you came to the right place!" Eric replies. "We're Shang Tu's top experts on interdimensional technology!"

"We're _Avalice's_ top experts!" Ernie boasts.

"Only because Mayor Zao's more interested in profit and King Dail's keeping quiet after the whole Brevon thing," Sally snorts derisively, not noticing Lilac subconsciously taking hold of a hair whip. "Well, I'll leave you with them," she informs Lilac. "I have my own work to get back to. I would say if you need help just holler, but with what you've accomplished, these two should be a cakewalk," she adds in compliment.

"Thanks for the concern regardless," Lilac replies. "And thank you for your hospitality."

"My pleasure," Sally nods before departing.

While Sally and Lilac are exchanging pleasantries, Carol and Tails take an interest in the broken machine, parts of which are still smoking slightly.

"Some pretty cool stuff in this," Carol observes. "What's it made from?"

"A lot of it was recovered from the Dreadnought," Eric explains. "Combined with the info from Pangu, we built the whole thing in just a week."

"And then it fried itself when we turned it on," Ernie continues. "We can repair it, but several parts are one‑offs. We'll have to fabricate replacements."

"And given how advanced some of this stuff is, there's no telling if our replacements will be good enough," Eric finishes.

"I can help with that," Tails volunteers.

"Really?" the hounds ask in chorus.

"Sure!" Tails replies. "I build all sorts of stuff. Machines, robots, everything!"

"But you're just a kid!" Ernie exclaims.

"A year ago, three girls aged just fifteen, twelve, and ten saved the entire planet," Lilac reminds.

"And we kicked so much tail doing so!" Carol chimes.

"A good point there," Ernie admits. "What do you think Eric? Give the kit a chance?"

"Sure, why not?" Eric agrees.

* * *

Two hours later, aboard _Sky Patrol_ , Nicole picks up an unusual yet familiar signal. "I'm picking up another portal opening," she announces to Sonic and Sally. "It's coming from Knothole."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sonic asks impatiently.

"We're already on our way," Nicole assures.

* * *

"By the Ancients, he did it!" Eric gasps.

"A fully functional interdimensional portal generator!" Ernie exclaims.

"Let's just hope it's aimed at the right place," Tails thinks aloud as he walks up to the portal, pausing in front of it to turn to Lilac and Carol. "Thanks for helping me. It's a shame this is over already. You're really cool people."

"Helping is what we do," Lilac humbly replies.

"I don't call her Little Miss Heropants for nothing," Carol grins.

"Well, guess I'd better get going," Tails decides. "You never know: we may meet again."

* * *

As _Sky Patrol_ flies over Knothole, Nicole detects a strange and worrying fluctuation in the portal's energy signature. "That's weird…"

"What's weird?" Sally asks.

"I'm monitoring the portal for activity, and it seems like someone tried to get through it, but couldn't."

"Get us down there."

* * *

"Something's not right," Tails observes, knocking on the green disc. "I can't get through!"

"What? How come?" Lilac asks.

"No idea!" Tails replies, a hint of panic seeping into his voice. "I must have made a mistake repairing it!"

"Then we'll keep trying until we get it right," Lilac assures.

* * *

As Nicole sets _Sky Patrol_ down near the portal, Sonic wastes no time sprinting right up to it. "Tails?" he calls into the portal. "You there, buddy?"

* * *

Tails' ears twitch as he hears a familiar voice. "Sonic?" he calls back in reply.

"Tails!" Sonic replies, his voice slightly distorted by the portal. "How are you doing? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," Tails assures. "A couple of girls found me and brought me to a place called Shang Tu to try and get home."

"You're in Chun‑nan?" Sonic asks. "I thought you were in another dimension?"

"I _am_ in another dimension," Tails corrects. "Shang Tu is a city on a planet called Avalice."

* * *

"Who are you talking to?" Sally asks Sonic as she halts at his side.

"Tails, of course!" Sonic answers.

"Wonderful!" Sally smiles. "Tails? How are you?"

"Hey Sally!" Tails replies, his voice slightly distorted by the portal. "I'm fine, but I can't get through this portal!"

Sally unclips the handheld from her belt and opens it. "Nicole, can you think of a way to get this portal working?"

"Not from this side, unfortunately," Nicole admits.

"Can you pass through the portal without damage?"

"If I shut myself down, then yes."

"Then we have a plan," Sally decides, stepping towards the portal as Nicole shuts herself down.

"Whoa Sal!" Sonic exclaims, grabbing Sally's shoulder. "Are you sure about this?"

"How else are we going to get Tails back?" Sally asks.

Sonic thinks for a moment. "OK," he relents, backing away from the portal slightly. "Just… be careful."

"Of course," Sally agrees, stepping through the portal.

* * *

"Oh… Hello," Lilac greets the chipmunk in surprise. "Wasn't expecting anyone to come through."

"We can fix the portal to allow Tails to get home, but only from this side," the chipmunk explains, restarting the handheld. "I'm Sally Acorn, and this is my lifelong friend Nicole," she continues, indicating the lynx face on the screen.

"Hello," Nicole greets.

"I'm Sash Lilac, and this is my best friend Carol Tea," Lilac greets in return. "And these two hounds are Eric and Ernie. They're the guys who built the portal generator."

"Glad to meet you all," Sally smiles to everyone. "Shall we get to work?"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sally and Tails stand back from the portal generator, confident their modifications will work.

"Ready?" Sally asks Tails, shutting down the handheld once more.

"Ready," Tails confirms.

"Then let's do it to it!" Sally commands.

"That's my line!" Sonic calls through the portal.

As Tails and Sally stride confidently to the portal, the machine malfunctions. Tails and Sally are sucked through the portal as a maelstrom builds in the room. The two hounds dive for cover, but Lilac are Carol are left vulnerable. Slowly, they begin to move towards the portal against their will as the maelstrom strengthens.

"What on Avalice is going on?" Carol yells over the building wind noise.

"No idea!" Lilac yells back. "Just grab my hand! I'll Dragon Boost us to safety!"

Carol reaches for Lilac's hand, but a sudden gust separates the friends.

" _LILAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC!_ " Carol screams as she's sucked through the portal.

" _CAROL!_ " Lilac cries in horror as her friend disappears. " _Hold on, I'm coming for you!_ "

Lilac jumps into the air and allows the howling winds to carry her through the portal. Seconds later, the machine detonates, closing the portal and plunging the laboratory levels into darkness once more.

The two hounds peek out from their hiding place, the maelstrom having dissipated in the detonation.

"We just lost the savours of Avalice!" Eric exclaims in panic. "What shall we do?"

"We can't tell anyone about this!" Ernie commands. "We'll be locked in the dungeons for sure!"

"My lips are sealed!" Eric agrees.

A few moments later, Sally Flynn appears in the doorway, the door having been torn off its hinges. "Seriously?" she asks, spines erect, arms folded, tapping her foot, her eyes as hard as steel. "Did Tails get home at least?"

"Yes," Eric confirms.

"And Lilac and Carol? Where are they?" Sally continues.

"They went home," Ernie lies.

Sally stares at the hounds for several seconds, her eyes narrowed. "OK," she eventually accepts. "They should have let me know, but whatever," she mutters as she returns to her own lab.

* * *

"Er, guys, I'm all for happy reunions, but can people get off me?" Sonic asks, pinned under Tails, Sally, and an unconscious Lilac and Carol.

"Only if you help get our unexpected guests to the medical bay," Sally requests.

"Deal," Sonic agrees.


	5. Welcome to Sky Patrol

_Ugh… what happened?_ Lilac stirs gently awake, taking her time to let her thoughts organise themselves. _Let's see. We got the portal working, then something went wrong, and… Carol!_ Lilac snaps fully awake, sitting up rapidly, eyes wide open. " _Carol?_ " she calls, fighting down her rising panic.

"Over here," Carol answers.

Lilac turns to see Carol standing by a window, looking out at the sky. "Thank the Ancients you're alright!" she breathes in relief. "Where are we?"

"Dunno," Carol shrugs. "But we're obviously not in Shang Tu anymore," she continues, pointing out the window.

Lilac slides off the bed and joins Carol at the window. "I think it's safe to assume we're not on Avalice anymore," she concludes as she surveys the landscape below. "After all, we don't have those on Avalice," she adds, pointing to a looping rock formation.

"The loop‑de‑loop?" Carol asks. "Aren't there two in Dragon Valley?"

"…good point," Lilac admits. "But we certainly don't have checkerboard hills."

"It's like something from a videogame," Carol comments.

"Except it's real, and it's right below us," Lilac replies. "Come on, let's go find out where we are."

The two girls make their way out of the medical bay and into the corridor outside. Unsure whether to go left or right, Carol listens for any signs of life. "This way," she decides after a few moments.

* * *

After several minutes of walking through many corridors and up a few stairwells, Lilac is starting to get impatient. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Not as sure as I was a few minutes ago," Carol admits. "This place is _huge_."

"I wonder how big a crew it normally has?" Lilac thinks aloud.

"Ten," a voice answers from behind.

Lilac and Carol spin around in surprise, ready to fight the blue hedgehog who had snuck up on them.

"Whoa, easy girls!" Sonic assures. "We're all friends here!"

Lilac and Carol visibly relax. "Sorry," Lilac apologises. "Ninja instincts. I'm Sash Lilac‑"

"And I'm the legendary Carol Tea!" Carol grins boastfully.

"There's only one legend around here kid," Sonic boasts, "and that's me, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Now you see why the ship is so big," Sally Acorn interrupts, appearing from a doorway behind Sonic. "It has to be to contain his ego," she adds cheekily.

"Excuse me, who put the world back together?" Sonic asks, continuing the friendly banter.

"And who gathered all the Chaos Emeralds and Gaia Keys that allowed you to do so?" Sally retorts cheekily.

"…I got nothin'," Sonic shrugs.

"Currently, we only have five crew aboard," Sally explains to Lilac and Carol, "and we're all busy with something. Tails is helping Rotor with the final repairs, Nicole's flying the ship, and Sonic's going to get you something to eat."

"Do you have sushi?" Carol asks hopefully.

"No, but I'll cook you both my special recipe chili dogs!" Sonic promises, dashing off to the kitchen before anyone can reply or object.

"Chili dogs?" Carol asks, confused.

"It's all he ever makes," Sally explains. "Forgive me," she continues, "I'm not being a very good host. How are you both feeling?"

"Lost and confused, but otherwise fine," Lilac answers.

"Then if you'll join me on a tour of our ship, I'll answer any questions you have," Sally offers. "Welcome aboard _Sky Patrol_."

* * *

"…and finally, we have the kitchen," Sally finishes. "Which Sonic has made a mess of," she sighs when she notices the haphazard array of dirty pots and pans scattered around half the kitchen. "Again."

"Don't worry Sal, I'll clean it up," Sonic assures, finishing the chili dog he's halfway through eating.

"Are there at least some left for our guests?" Sally asks.

Sonic looks around the kitchen. "There were…"

"Let me guess: you ate them," Sally smiles knowingly.

"Guilty as charged," Sonic admits.

"It's OK, we're not hungry anyway," Lilac assures.

"Speak for yourself!" Carol objects comically, searching through the cupboards until she finds a bag of tortilla chips, which she wastes no time opening.

"Carol, you really should ask first," Lilac chides.

"Don't worry about it," Sally smiles. "You're more than welcome to help yourselves."

"Thanks," Lilac replies.

After a few moments' silence, Sally senses Lilac is troubled. "We'll find a way to get you home again," she assures.

"I know," Lilac sighs. "It's just…"

"We'll get back home," Carol states confidently. "Until then, relax and enjoy yourself!"

Lilac thinks a moment. "Well, there _is_ a games room on this ship…"

* * *

With Sonic keeping Lilac and Carol entertained in the games room, Sally and Nicole station themselves on the bridge. For several minutes, they work in silence, Nicole piloting _Sky Patrol_ while Sally researches possible ways to build an interdimensional portal. Eventually, the conclusion becomes obvious.

"We're going to need the Chaos Emeralds," Sally announces suddenly.

"No other power source is capable of generating enough energy," Nicole agrees.

"It's going to take a while," Sally continues. "Who knows where they've scattered to this time?"

"We've tracked them down many times before," Nicole reminds. "We'll do so again."

"It's not that that has me worried," Sally admits. "It's what Eggman will do when he inevitably finds out we're looking for them again that concerns me more…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, a giant egg‑shaped flying fortress sits docked, undergoing repairs and upgrades. The robot crew works endlessly and tirelessly around the clock while the sole human occupant monitors progress from the bridge. Fiddling with his luxuriate orange moustache as he reviews numerous status readouts, the human wears an expression that belies his dissatisfaction at the rate of progress. But despite the many frustrations, he remains calm, instead channelling his energies into concocting yet another nefarious payback scheme.

His frustrations surface however when he is interrupted by one of his robot lackeys. "Orbot, can't you see I'm busy?" he growls before the robot has a chance to speak.

"Apologies Doctor Eggman, but I thought you'd be interested to know _Sky Patrol_ launched a few minutes ago," Orbot explains.

"And what is so important about‑" Eggman begins. "Did you say _Sky Patrol?_ "

"Yes sir," Orbot confirms.

"What are those insidious rodents up to this time, I wonder," Eggman thinks aloud, dismissing the diagnostic readouts in favour of a tactical display. "Where are they heading… Wood Zone? That's of no consequence. Though it does imply their ship is fully operational again, while my _Death Egg_ is currently grounded…" Eggman ponders the situation for a few moments. "There's only one way to know for sure what's going on."

* * *

Deep within the _Death Egg_ , a deep blue robot stirs from its rest, its red eyes glowing with villainous intent. It tilts its head slightly as its orders come in. ++I will comply.++

Metal Sonic launches at maximum speed, setting course for Wood Zone.

* * *

Dr Eggman watches the video feed as Metal Sonic arrives over Knothole just as _Sky Patrol_ lands. Eggman commands Metal to remain out of detectable range, watching the scene play out via the robot's zoom vision, listening via the directional microphone. As he watches, his face portrays his thoughts at the events unfolding, culminating in a mixture of confusion, interest, and anticipation.

"An interdimensional portal, hm?" Eggman muses to himself, commanding Metal to retreat as _Sky Patrol_ takes off. "You know what that means, Orbot?"

"Another planet for you to fail to conquer?" Orbot replies satirically.

"Any more sass from you, and I'll turn you into soup cans!" Eggman snaps. "If I can open a portal of my own, I can go to this other dimension, conquer their planet, use their resources to build a robot army of unimaginable size, then return to this planet and conquer it in a single day!"

"An excellent plan sir, but there is one problem I see," Orbot responds. "Without the seven Chaos Emeralds, you'll never have enough energy to open a portal large enough for me, let alone the _Death Egg_."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Eggman barks. "Find the Chaos Emeralds!"

"Where shall we start looking?" Orbot asks.

" _Everywhere!_ " Eggman commands.


	6. The Search Begins

As _Sky Patrol_ lands in Mobotropolis again, Tails and Rotor emerge from the lower decks. Their repair and maintenance work now complete, they meet Sally and Nicole just outside the bridge.

"Hey boys," Sally greets. "You were a while down there."

"We took the opportunity to give the ship a tune‑up," Rotor explains. "I hear we have visitors?"

"They're in the games room with Sonic," Sally confirms. "They're from another dimension, and we'll need the Chaos Emeralds to help them get back home. I've summoned the rest of the Freedom Fighters: they'll be here within the hour."

* * *

Over the next hour, the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters arrive aboard _Sky Patrol_. After the formalities of introductions, they gather in the meeting room with Lilac and Carol to be briefed on the plan to search for the Chaos Emeralds.

"I know you were all expecting a longer break before we took flight again, but we also know that if someone needs our help, we provide it," Sally begins, standing at the head of the table. "You've all been introduced to Sash Lilac and Carol Tea, visitors from a planet called Avalice. They were stranded here after helping Tails return home when he himself was stranded on their world earlier today. And the only way to return them home is to find and utilise the seven Chaos Emeralds."

"Unfortunately, the Emeralds scattered after Sonic repaired the planet and sealed Dark Gaia in the core again," Nicole continues. "I've started a search for their energy signatures, though no signal has appeared yet. However, once we're in the air, we'll have a greater search radius."

"As we discover each Emerald, we'll dispatch a team to retrieve it," Sally concludes. "We'll want to work fast and quiet, so we don't attract unwanted attention. Then, when we have all seven, we can use them to power an interdimensional portal generator."

"Or I can use Chaos Control and send them home," Sonic volunteers.

"A machine would be safer," Sally teases.

"I reassembled our planet," Sonic reminds, a little annoyed. "If I can do that, I can open a portal to Avalice."

"Can you guarantee you know how to target the right planet, let alone the right dimension?" Sally asks.

Sonic opens his mouth to reply, but stops himself. "I think a machine would be safer," he admits.

"I'm glad you agree," Sally smiles cheekily. "In the meantime," she continues, addressing everyone else, "let's make our guests feel right at home."

* * *

As _Sky Patrol_ returns to the skies, in another part of the world, Eggman's robot slaves are making the final repairs to the _Death Egg_. On the bridge, the doctor himself is beginning his search for the Chaos Emeralds, desperate to find them all before the Freedom Fighters do. As he pours through the intelligence trickling in from his Egg Bosses, he isolates a particularly promising nugget from Midesta Egg Boss Nephthys.

"Strange signals coming from the Arid Sands Zone," Eggman muses. "Unconfirmed source, exact location unknown. At least she's sending a team to investigate: that should save me some time."

Eggman deactivates the screens, then stands and strolls around the bridge, deep in thought. _The repairs to the_ Death Egg _will be complete within the hour, but I don't want to tip off those insufferable rodents by launching it. But then I don't want to run the risk of crossing paths with them and having little protection._ Eggman ponders the situation for several minutes before deciding. _It's a risk, but it's the best course of action for now._

* * *

On the bridge of _Sky Patrol_ , Sally is monitoring the incoming scanning data as Nicole pilots the ship, with the rest of the crew relaxing in the lower decks, ready for action. It's not long before the first signal appears.

"Picking something up," Sally reports. "It's coming from Northamer, but I'm having a little trouble pinning it down."

Nicole closes her eyes for a moment. "Try again now," she suggests.

Sally taps at the console for a few moments. "Thanks Nicole, that's done the job. I've traced the signal to… Thunder Plains Zone."

"Shall we alert the Wolfpack?" Nicole asks.

"We'll let them know we're coming," Sally decides. "But I don't want to alert the Northamer Egg Army if possible."

"In which case, we should send in a small team," Nicole suggests.

"I'm thinking Sonic and Tails in the _Speed Star_ ," Sally decides. "They can be in and out before Cassia and Clove even notice."

* * *

Late evening, and through the skies of Midesta flies a compact one‑man shuttlecraft, its stubby fixed wings keeping the ovoid fuselage stable and level. Homing in on the Chaos Emerald's signature, Dr Eggman pilots the shuttle through the Arid Sands Zone, reviewing the information being fed to him by the four Egg Army soldiers investigating the signal's origin. He soon arrives at the site, landing at the edge in a small cloud of sand.

"Evening Dr Eggman, sir," the sergeant salutes as the doctor emerges from his shuttle.

"Where is it?" Eggman asks, cutting straight to the point.

The sergeant hesitates before replying. "We're not entirely sure, sir."

The doctor pulls himself to his full height and fixes the sergeant with a hard stare. "Make the explanation you're about to give _extremely_ good."

"The origin of the signal is buried at least a hundred metres below the surface," the sergeant begins.

"Surely that's not beyond your ability?" Eggman asks.

"That's not the problem, sir."

"Then what is?"

"We've detected more than one origin."

 _Very unusual to find multiple Emeralds in one location, but I'm not complaining. Any advantage over the rodents is worth having._ "Surely that's a good thing?"

"Depends on how many origins there are, sir."

"How many are there?"

"Ninety‑two, sir."

" _Ninety‑two‽_ "

"Yes sir."

"Hmm… that is a problem indeed," Eggman admits. "Luckily, I came prepared."

"Sir?"

With a knowing smile, Eggman returns to his shuttle, emerging a few moments later with a compact drilling robot. "This is one of a dozen," he explains to the sergeant. "They're already programmed to track the Emerald's signature, and with all twelve active, the search should take no more than a couple of hours. Of course, I'll need someone to keep an eye on them and make sure they stay on track."

"You can count on us, sir!" the sergeant salutes.

"Obviously," Eggman grins darkly. "Because you know what'll happen if you fail me…"

The sergeant swallows hard in a semi‑successful attempt to mask the surge of fear running through him. "We'll do our best, sir."

"Excellent. Report to me as soon as the Emerald is found."

"What if there's more than one?"

"Then you report to me more than once," Eggman instructs. "And don't ever let me catch you being so informal again."

"Sorry sir, I won't sir," the sergeant hastily apologises.

"Good." Eggman hands the robot he's holding to the sergeant, then returns to his shuttle as Orbot and Cubot bring out the rest of the drilling bots.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the Northamer afternoon turns to evening, _Sky Patrol_ halts at the edge of the Thunder Plains Zone, remaining at high altitude to minimise the risk of detection. In the hangar, Tails is giving Lilac and Carol a tour of the various flying machines housed within, when Sonic and Sally arrive and call him over to the _Speed Star_.

"We found one already?" Tails asks as he joins Sonic and Sally, Lilac and Carol following right behind him.

"In the heart of the Thunder Plains Zone," Sally informs.

"That's why I'm going down," Sonic adds. "Fastest feet on the planet!"

"If it's speed you need, I'm happy to help," Lilac volunteers.

"Of course you are, Miss Heropants," Carol teases.

"'Miss Heropants'?" Sally asks.

"It's what she calls me when I come over all heroic," Lilac explains.

"Or decide to help without knowing the dangers in advance," Carol adds.

"The danger's part of the fun!" Sonic grins.

"Carol's got a point," Lilac admits. "I should know what the risks are before jumping in."

"You're taking my advice?" Carol asks, surprised.

"Of course!" Lilac chuckles. "You're my best friend! And I did promise to listen to you more often, remember?"

"Yes I do!" Carol grins.

"So, what are the dangers?" Lilac asks.

"The entire Zone is covered in a permanent electrical storm," Sally explains.

"E‑Electrical storm?" Lilac stammers.

"You gotta keep movin', else you'll get hit by the lightning," Sonic answers.

"L‑L‑Lightning?" Lilac screws her eyes shut, her hair whips twitching spasmodically as a wave of nausea rises through her body. It takes a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and bring her hair whips under control.

"Lilac?" Carol asks, concerned.

"Sorry," she apologises quietly as she reopens her eyes. "It's just… bad memories."

"Scared of lightning, huh?" Sonic teases.

"You would be too if you went through what Lilac did!" Carol snaps, flashing her claws.

Sonic holds his hands at shoulder‑height in apology. "Sorry, I was just‑"

"It's OK," Lilac assures Sonic, placing a calming hand on Carol's shoulder. "You weren't to know. Besides, I'm not afraid of lightning: I just don't want to be near it, s'all. I once had a… bad experience," she explains, subconsciously taking hold of a hair whip. "I'll sit this one out, and help next time."

"I'll come instead!" Carol volunteers.

"Really?" Lilac asks.

"I wanna see this storm!" Carol explains. "It sounds cool!"

"Well…" Lilac thinks aloud.

"I'll keep her safe," Sonic promises.

Lilac thinks a moment. "OK."

"Sweet!" Carol grins. "Now, anyone got a motorbike? I left mine in Shang Tu."

"We have one," Tails informs. "I'll get it for you," he volunteers, returning a few moments later with a basic‑looking green motorbike. "This is the _Green Hopper_ ," he explains. "It may not look like much, but it's got some real pace."

Carol circles the bike, her eyes analysing every detail. "Is this the best you have?" she asks, a little disappointed.

"We don't have a lot of use for land vehicles," Sally explains. "We tend to use Extreme Gear instead."

"Don't worry, she'll take it," Lilac decides.

"I will?" Carol asks.

"You wanted a bike, that's a bike," Lilac answers.

"Yeah, but‑" Carol starts, stopping herself when she notices Lilac's stern expression. "I mean, thanks for the bike," she continues, "and I promise to take care of it."

"Take it for a quick ride around the hangar," Tails suggests. "Get a feel for it."

"OK." Carol mounts the bike and starts it, then pulls away smoothly, feeling the bike's weight as she does some slow turns. Once confident, she opens the throttle all the way. The sudden power surge as the jet engine kicks in takes her by surprise: in less than a second, she's flat on her back, the bike sliding away from her.

Lilac dashes to her friend's side. "Are you OK?" she asks, concerned yet also trying hard to stifle a laugh.

"I meant to do that," Carol fibs as she picks herself up, hiding her embarrassment well.

"I probably should have told you about the jet booster," Tails admits as he recovers the bike.

"Why does it have a jet on the back anyway?" Lilac asks.

"Because it's cool!" Carol grins.

"It's because it's Big's bike," Tails corrects. "He's kinda heavy."

"I like my answer better," Carol shrugs.


	7. Thunder and Lightning

Half an hour later, Tails lands the _Speed Star_ a safe distance from the edge of the electrical storm. Sonic then helps Carol unload the _Green Hopper_ , and once it's unloaded, Tails takes off again, climbing quickly to fly over the clouds.

"Remember kid, keep on moving if you don't want to get hit," Sonic instructs.

"Sure thing," Carol acknowledges.

"Are your trackers working?" Tails asks over the radio; Sonic and Carol report affirmatives. "Good. Now remember, while they're designed to withstand the intense electromagnetic fields generated by the lightning, it's possible there may still be some interference."

"And in English?" Sonic asks.

"They should work fine, but don't worry if they go wrong," Carol explains.

"Close enough," Tails confirms.

"Then let's do it to it!" Sonic declares, his anticipation clear.

Carol fires up the _Green Hopper_ and immediately accelerates hard, the jet boosting her to high speed as she enters the storm. As she dodges the first few lightning strikes, she risks a glance to her side, only to see Sonic matching speed while running backwards.

"You're pretty handy on that!" Sonic compliments, shouting to be heard.

"And you're just showing off!" Carol replies cheekily.

"You think this is impressive?" Sonic retorts. "Watch this!" Sonic then turns to face forwards and accelerates so quickly he creates a sonic boom.

"It'd be more impressive if I hadn't seen it before," Carol sighs to herself as she pushes deeper into the Plains.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Arid Sands Zone, Eggman is reviewing intelligence coming from the Northamer Egg Army when the sergeant knocks on the door of his shuttle. "Enter," the doctor commands without turning from the display.

"You wanted to know when we found an Emerald, sir," the sergeant greets as he enters the shuttle.

"Have you found an Emerald?" Eggman asks.

"Yes sir," the sergeant confirms, "but we're having trouble retrieving it."

Eggman turns slowly to face the sergeant. "Explain."

"The Emerald is encased in a stratum of super‑dense rock, and the drilling bots are struggling to cope," the sergeant explains.

"Good thing I came prepared," Eggman smiles wickedly.

"Sir?"

"You're dismissed," Eggman commands. "You and your men will return to Shamar as soon as possible."

"But‑ As you wish, sir."

With a final salute, the sergeant exits the shuttle. Eggman turns back to the screen, dismisses the Northamer reports, and calls up the management program for the drilling bots. "Ah, they're all converging on the same location," he observes. "That must mean there's only one Emerald, which is disappointing. At least the rodents don't know I'm looking yet, so I still hold the advantage."

Eggman then switches to the external camera to watch the sergeant and his troops depart. Once they're a safe distance away, Eggman switches back to the drilling bot management program and activates the shuttle's shields.

A few seconds later, the sound of a massive explosion rolls across the desert.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, deep in the Thunder Plains Zone, Sonic sprints into a cave, thankful to finally be safe from the constant lightning strikes. He waits just inside the entrance for Carol to catch up, but after a few moments, his impatience gets the better of him. Risking a look out to the plains, he's surprised to hear Carol behind him greet "What took you so long?"

"How did you… When did you… What?" Sonic asks in surprise.

"While you were busy playing games out there, seeing how close the lightning could get to you, I rode straight here," Carol explains.

"Well… good," Sonic replies. "We shouldn't be wasting time anyway."

"If you say so," Carol agrees, refusing to hide a cheeky grin.

Together, Sonic and Carol head deeper into the caves, Carol leading the way with her superior feline low‑light vision. Over the next ten minutes, the pair traverse the caves in relative silence, wary of hidden dangers. Luck is on their side however, as there are no dangers lurking in the gloom.

Eventually, the hedgehog and wildcat emerge in a large and surprisingly well‑lit chamber.

"My scanner says the Emerald is in here somewhere," Carol concludes.

Sonic taps a button on his scanner. "Tails, we've found a big chamber with the Emerald, but we can't pinpoint its location exactly. Can you help?"

He is answered by nothing but static.

"Tails? You there, bud?" Sonic tries, but there's still no reply, just static.

"No signal?" Carol asks.

"Nope," Sonic confirms.

"Not surprising: we're a long way underground. And then there's all that lightning too."

"Without Tails' help, how are we going to find the Emerald? I don't see it, and the scanner's pointing all over."

Carol looks around the chamber. "It must be on one of these ledges," she concludes, referring to the two dozen examples scattered around the chamber, their heights ranging from less than a metre to over eighty metres.

"You take those over there," Sonic decides, "and I'll take these over here."

One by one, Sonic and Carol check each ledge, Carol climbing rapidly through feline agility, with Sonic relying on his speed to scale the sheer rock faces.

On the ninth ledge, Carol spots a gemstone. Without hesitation, she digs it out of the dirt and examines it. "Red: not an emerald," she concludes. _But a rock like this must be worth a lot: I'm keeping it._

Eventually, with all the ledges checked, Carol reunites with Sonic at the chamber entrance.

"Find anything?" Sonic asks.

"No, just this ruby," Carol replies, showing Sonic the gemstone.

Sonic takes the stone and examines it. "This isn't a ruby, it's a Chaos Emerald!"

"No, it's a ruby," Carol mistakenly corrects. "Emeralds are green, and that's clearly red."

"Trust me, it's a Chaos Emerald," Sonic assures. "I've used these enough times to know one on sight."

"But how can it be an emerald if it's red?" Carol asks, confused.

"Only one of the Chaos Emeralds is green," Sonic explains. "There's also two blue ones, a yellow one, a purple one, a grey one, and this red one."

"That's just weird."

Sonic thinks for a moment. "You're right, it _is_ weird. Anyway, we'd better get back before‑"

Suddenly, the earth starts shaking, causing large boulders to fall from the ceiling and embed themselves in the floor.

"Run?" Carol asks.

"Run," Sonic confirms.

They run out of the chamber just in time to avoid being crushed.

* * *

"Found it yet?" Eggman asks, his impatience growing by the second.

"We're tryin', boss!" Cubot replies.

"The search would be easier if you hadn't blown a huge hole in the desert," Orbot adds. "What if you've damaged or destroyed the Emerald?"

"They're indestructible, bolt‑brain," Eggman explains. "Now find it!"

Orbot and Cubot redouble their efforts, combing every inch of the fifty‑foot crater left by the explosion, while Eggman paces around its edge. With every passing moment, Eggman grows ever more frustrated. Distracted, he nearly trips over something. Turning to see what he nearly tripped over, he's pleasantly surprised to find the blue Chaos Emerald by his feet.

"The Emerald!" Eggman exclaims, snatching it from the sand. "One down, six to go!"

"Congratulations, sir!" Orbot applauds. "Can we stop digging now?"

"Absolutely not!" Eggman snaps. "That stratum I blew up is a special type of rock that could channel the energies of this Emerald, and make it look like there were over ninety of them. Get me as much of that as you can."

"As you wish," Orbot sighs in reluctant agreement.

* * *

Back at the entrance to the cave, Sonic tries once more to get in contact with Tails. "You there, bud?"

"Finally!" Tails replies, his voice distorted by heavy static. "What happened?"

"We found the Emerald!" Sonic reports.

"Cool!" Tails replies. "I'll meet you at the edge of the Plains."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Sonic and Carol speed out of the Plains, sliding to a halt beside the _Speed Star_.

"You guys run into any trouble?" Tails asks.

"Nothing major," Sonic reports.

"Apart from the earthquake that nearly crushed us," Carol reminds.

"Like I said, nothing major," Sonic winks.

"That must have been what I picked up on my scanner," Tails reveals. "I couldn't figure out what caused it though."

"No sweat. Come on, let's get back to‑" Sonic starts, pausing as the ground shakes again.

"That's not natural," Carol observes.

"Agreed," Tails replies. "And it's getting closer."

"Whatever it is, I'm ready for it!" Sonic declares, preparing to fight.

"Right beside you, Sonic!" Tails replies.

Carol however remains silent, focussing on the vibrations. Tilting her head side to side to allow her oversized ears to pick up as much detail as possible, she pinpoints the source of the vibrations, and works out the direction the source is moving. Without warning, she leaps to one side, bundling both Sonic and Tails to the ground and rolling with them both several feet.

Less than a second later, the source of the vibrations bursts through the ground at the exact spot Sonic and Tails were stood.

"Are you guys OK?" Carol asks, rolling clear of the hedgehog and kitsune straight into a combat stance, claws extended.

"Thanks for the save," Tails replies as he and Sonic pick themselves up.

"What's the big idea?" Sonic directs to the yellow‑armoured robot, its markings revealing it to be _E‑119 Upsilon_.

++Hand over the Emerald, or be destroyed++ the robot demands, shoulder‑mounted turrets emerging to complement the two massive drills where hands would normally be.

"What do you say Tails?" Sonic asks, allowing himself his trademark smirk.

"I say we send this bozo to the scrapheap!" Tails answers.

"Hey, leave some for me, will ya?" Carol banters.

++Scrapheap will be unnecessary++ Upsilon responds.

Spinning its drills to top speed, Upsilon dives at the heroes, missing as they scatter out of the way. Sonic is the first to counter‑attack, sprinting directly at the robot, curling into a Spin Attack as he does so. Upsilon anticipates the attack, leaping the hedgehog with ease, but presenting the now airborne Tails with an opportunity. With his own Spin Attack, Tails targets the head, denting it slightly. Knocked off balance, Upsilon lands awkwardly, toppling onto its side.

++Damage insufficient++ Upsilon taunts monotonically as it rights itself.

 _We'll see about that._ Carol closes in rapidly as the robot stands, sliding between its legs as it's about to turn and counter‑attack Sonic and Tails. Claws at full extension, she slashes through the weaker armour of Upsilon's knee joints, cutting several cables and hydraulic lines in the process. Crippled, the robot stumbles and falls. As it hits the ground, Carol leaps onto Upsilon's back, and rakes her claws deep along the top and down the back of the robot's head.

++Fatal error. Fatal error. Fatal error.++ Upsilon's eyes fade as the robot malfunctions and shuts down.

With Upsilon defeated, Carol retracts her claws, then stands atop the chassis, hands on hips, a grin spread the full width of her face. "Another victory for the legendary Carol Tea!" she boasts.

"Nice work, kid!" Sonic compliments. "Though you may wanna be a bit less smug about it."

"Look who's talking!" Tails teases.

"I kicked its tail quicker than you did," Carol adds cheekily.

"We were just toying with it," Sonic protests, playing along.

"Sure you were," Carol smirks as she jumps off the robot and rejoins the hedgehog and kitsune.

"We'd better get back to _Sky Patrol_ ," Tails suggests. "It won't be long before Upsilon's defeat is noticed, and Eggman is alerted to our presence."

"Good idea," Sonic agrees.

Moments later, the trio takes off in the _Speed Star_ , and heads home to _Sky Patrol_.


	8. Complications

"…so, I slid between its legs, slashed its knees, and it fell over," Carol retells to the assembled Freedom Fighters in the meeting room. "Then I jumped on its back, sunk my claws into its head, and saved the day!"

"Wow, Miss Carol!" Cream compliments. "You're almost as cool as Mr Sonic!"

"Yeah, well, I am a Tea," Carol smirks smugly.

"A who?" Cream asks, confused.

Carol's smirk vanishes. "You don't know who the Teas are?" she asks in disbelief. "Oh, wait, this isn't Avalice," she remembers a moment later.

"Are the Teas famous?" Cream inquires.

"Famous is only the start!" Carol boasts. "The Teas go back generations, and are one of the most talented and influential ninja clans on Avalice!"

"All zis boasting, it is not ze mark of ze true fightair," Antoine dismisses. "I could have taken ze robot down in ze same amount of time, and with less of ze fuss and bothair."

"Ah sugar‑Twan, she's only havin' a bit a' fun," Bunnie assures.

"The important thing is, we have the first Chaos Emerald," Amy reminds.

"And before long, we'll have the other six!" Sonic assures.

As the conversation progresses and moves to another topic, Sally and Lilac, who are observing from across the room, start a conversation of their own.

"She'll always be my best friend, but sometimes Carol really gets on my nerves," Lilac admits.

"I know what you mean," Sally assures. "Sonic can be really annoying at times too, especially with that silly smirk of his. But given how many times he's defeated Eggman and saved this world, he's earned the right to be a bit cocky."

"I understand. After all, Carol always comes through for me," Lilac replies. "Without her… well, to be honest, I would have died at Brevon's hand in Thermal Base," she adds, subconsciously holding a hair whip.

"Brevon must have done something terrible to you," Sally observes. "Every time he's mentioned, you grab one of your ponytails as if you're checking it's still there."

"I do?" Lilac asks, confused. She then looks at her hand to find a hair whip in it. "Huh… Guess I'm still not really over the whole experience…"

"Let's leave the others to celebrate, and go to the zen garden," Sally suggests.

"OK," Lilac agrees.

* * *

A few minutes later, Lilac and Sally are relaxing in the zen garden with a couple of drinks.

"I won't force you to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable," Sally promises, "but it could help to talk about what happened."

"It's OK," Lilac assures. "It'll be good to talk about it." She pauses a moment. "Earlier, you called these 'ponytails'," Lilac begins, taking a hair whip in hand, "but they're not like normal ponytails. They're called hair whips, and all dragons have them. Unlike ponytails, they're more than just hair. Underneath, they're flesh and blood."

"I thought they might be something different," Sally replies. "Earlier, in the hangar, I noticed they twitched quite a lot when lightning was mentioned, almost as if they're pure muscle."

"Underneath the hair, they are pure muscle," Lilac confirms.

"Do you mind if I feel one?" Sally asks.

"No, I don't mind," Lilac replies, holding a hair whip out for Sally to take.

For a few moments, Sally simply holds the hair whip, gently feeling its structure. "These really are very unusual," she remarks. "This may sound weird, but with the amount of muscle in them, they feel more like rope than flesh."

"You're not the first to make that comparison," Lilac informs. "Milla said the same thing."

"Another of your friends?" Sally asks, handing the hair whip back to Lilac.

"Yes, though she's currently on an adventure of her own," Lilac explains. "I miss having her around, but what she's doing is important to her, and I didn't want to stand in her way."

"It's not easy being the leader," Sally agrees.

"I wouldn't call myself a leader," Lilac corrects.

"But you are, even if you don't label yourself as one," Sally explains.

"I guess I am, in a way," Lilac admits. "Still, I'm not sure how I ended up as the leader of what Carol calls 'Team Lilac'."

"I imagine for the same reason I lead the Freedom Fighters," Sally answers. "Because someone has to."

Lilac chuckles satirically at the suggestion. "It's funny, that's exactly the answer I give when someone asks me why I chose to save Avalice."

"And while he'll never admit it, it's the reason why Sonic keeps fighting Eggman," Sally adds.

"But when I think of how differently things could have gone," Lilac continues, her expression darker, "I ask myself why I continue to put myself and my friends at such great risks. It's all too easy to end up putting the people you love in more danger than they were before. I learned that the hard way…"

"In your own time," Sally assures, her voice soft.

Lilac takes a deep breath. "Earlier, I mentioned that without Carol, I'd have died in Thermal Base," Lilac begins. "I'd gone in alone to save Torque after me and Carol had had a big argument about whether saving the world was our responsibility or not, and I ended up getting captured myself. I was unconscious when my hair whips were amputated, but that didn't stop the act being any less horrible. Waking up to feel two huge spikes of agony in the back of your head isn't pleasant, especially when you're shackled to a metal plate and unable to move."

"That sounds… I can't imagine what that would be like," Sally replies quietly, shocked and appalled at what Lilac is recalling.

"It gets worse," Lilac continues, barely loud enough to be heard. "The metal plate was in this glass tube, and… Brevon put enough electricity through me to fry most Avalicians. And he did it _twice_." Lilac pauses to take a deep shuddering breath, on the verge of breaking down, yet just about holding on. "I'd never felt pain like that before. I was screaming uncontrollably, and then… when it was over… all I could smell was my own burnt hair and flesh."

Sally can only respond with stunned silence.

"So yeah, Brevon and lightning, two things I don't like talking about," Lilac finishes, wiping away a tear. "I only survived the shocks and burns because I'm a dragon. And if Carol and Milla hadn't saved me soon after, I would have been executed."

"I… I just… I'm sorry to make you recall that," Sally apologises, shedding a couple of sympathetic tears of her own.

"I wouldn't have shared if I didn't want to," Lilac assures. "And you were right: talking about it does help. That, and I did get some payback the next day, when I drilled Brevon through three decks of his own ship," she adds with a slight cheeky smile.

"You didn't…" Sally starts to ask.

"No, I didn't kill him," Lilac assures. "I came so close though… It's a point of personal pride that I didn't."

"And that's what makes you a hero," Sally assures.

"It did mean he got away," Lilac informs.

"They always do," Sally sighs.

"And we'll keep on fighting," Lilac adds.

"Because someone has to," they chorus.

For a moment, the two remain silent, before bursting into relaxing laughter.

"That sounded like the cheesy ending from some terrible kids' show," Lilac chuckles.

"Yeah," Sally chuckles in return.

"Shall we rejoin the others?"

"You're feeling better then?"

"Much better, thanks."

"Then let's rejoin the others."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the skies of Midesta, Dr Eggman is piloting his shuttlecraft to his next stop, Efrika. With the Chaos Emerald safely stowed in a locked safe, and a hold full of the unusual rock the Emerald was found under, the doctor is feeling confident he holds the advantage. However, his mood changes when he gets a call from Clove, co‑boss of the Northamer Egg Army.

"I take it you have news?" Eggman asks after accepting the call.

"Good news and bad news," Clove reveals.

"Well?" Eggman prompts.

"The good news is, we found a Chaos Emerald in the Thunder Plains Zone," Clove replies. "The bad news is, the Freedom Fighters found it too."

"Did they get the Emerald?"

"Unfortunately so, sir."

"Why didn't you send that new E‑100 series robot I sent you?" Eggman demands.

"We _did_ send Upsilon," Clove corrects. "It was defeated at the edge of the Plains."

"Another E‑100 bites the dust," Eggman sighs. "I've _got_ to start work on the E‑200 series… Anything else?"

"Upsilon had some unusual damage," Clove reveals.

"Unusual damage?"

"The damage that crippled and disabled Upsilon was done by claws."

"Claws?"

"It's the only explanation that fits all the facts."

 _That's very unusual for the Freedom Fighters… A new member? Or maybe one of those two interdimensional interlopers?_ "Send me all the data you can," Eggman commands. "I must make sure I'm ready."

"As you wish sir," Clove replies, relieved Eggman has remained calm throughout.

Eggman closes the connection. "So, the rodents know I'm hunting the Emeralds," he thinks aloud. "But they don't know the _Death Egg_ is grounded, so they'll have to be cautious, which will slow them down. However, I too need to be cautious, as _Sky Patrol_ can easily outgun this flyer… At least I can guarantee getting to Efrika first."

* * *

As the day comes to an end on _Sky Patrol_ , one by one, the crew members turn in for the night. Soon, the only two crew members still awake are Sally and Nicole, both in Sally's quarters.

"We're on course for Eurish, and should be there by local sunrise," Nicole informs.

"Do we know exactly where the Emerald is yet?" Sally asks, taking her jacket off and hanging it over the back of the chair.

"I can't yet be sure, but the strongest signal is from Never Lake," Nicole answers.

"We need to locate that Emerald as quickly as possible," Sally reminds, sitting on the bed and removing her boots. "Especially since Eggman is looking for them too, and he surely knows by now that we are."

"I'm doing all I can," Nicole assures.

"Do we know if the _Death Egg_ is operational?" Sally asks.

"Not yet," Nicole answers. "However, it seems likely that he's using a smaller, faster craft to recover the Emeralds quicker."

"I hope you're right," Sally sighs, removing her gloves and ring‑blades, and setting them on the bedside table. " _Sky Patrol_ still isn't at full strength, despite Tails' and Rotor's best efforts. I don't want to run into a fully‑functional _Death Egg_."

"If we do, we're fast enough to outrun it," Nicole assures. "Now stop worrying and get some sleep."

"I know, I know," Sally acknowledges. "What about you?"

"I'm a hologrammatic artificial intelligence," Nicole reminds. "I don't need sleep."

"Sorry," Sally blushes slightly. "Sometimes I forget that."

"Don't worry about it," Nicole smiles. "I think I'll spend the night in the digital world."

"Stay safe," Sally acknowledges.

"Of course," Nicole agrees.

After Nicole's hologram disappears, Sally finishes undressing and climbs into bed. Sleep however does not come easy: her mind keeps turning to the story Lilac told in the zen garden. _How can anyone live through all that and not be totally broken by the experience? It's so much worse than anything I've been through, worse than anyone I know has been through. And yet, aside from a couple of nervous tics, she seems totally unaffected, at least outwardly. And leadership comes so naturally to her. I was born to rule, so I've been trained to lead, but Lilac never had that luxury. Yet she's taken to the role almost as if it was her destiny…_

Sally shakes her head to clear it. _Come on Sally‑girl, get some sleep. We've got a lot of Emerald hunting still to do, and everyone's expecting you to lead them to success. And you can't do that if you're awake all night._

A few minutes later, Sally finally falls asleep.


	9. Return to Little Planet

As the sun rises over Eurish, _Sky Patrol_ approaches the coast of Avalon. It's still quiet on board, with the guests and most of the crew still sleeping, but there is still activity. On the bridge, Nicole brings the ship to a gentle halt as she tries to pinpoint the location of the next Emerald. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, a familiar yet oddly different scent is working its way into the ventilation, inevitably finding its way into the bedroom of the cobalt blue speedster.

"Mmm… smells good…" Sonic mumbles as the scent stirs him from his slumber. Almost as if on autopilot, the hedgehog slides out of bed and makes his way to the kitchen. At the sight of a plateful of freshly‑cooked chili dogs, Sonic wakes to full alertness. "And it's not even my birthday!" he grins, sitting at the table, ready to tuck in.

"Hey Sonic!" Amy Rose chimes. "Hope you like them!"

Sonic freezes just millimetres from grabbing the nearest chili dog. "You made these?"

"Yeah," Amy confirms. "You spoiled the surprise though: I was going to bring them to your room."

"You know me: all it takes is one sniff!" Sonic replies, finally grabbing the chili dog. At first, Sonic simply savours the smell of the sauce, but within seconds he's munching with satisfied vigour.

"So, whaddya think?" Amy asks expectantly.

Sonic swallows the last of the chili dog. "Not bad," he compliments, reaching for a second. "In fact, they're delicious! Flavourful, juicy, with lots of spice: just the way I like it! Could do with a touch less pepper though."

"Noted," Amy accepts. "Glad you like them."

"What's the occasion?" Sonic asks, starting his second.

"You mean you don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Today is the anniversary of when you saved me from Metal Sonic!" Amy reminds. "I'll never forget that day…" Amy's eyes glaze over as she relives the experience. "The way you raced through Stardust Speedway, never giving up, being so brave… And when you won, it was so‑"

Amy stops suddenly when she realises Sonic left the kitchen while she was reminiscing, taking the chili dogs with him. With a frustrated sigh, she gently bangs her head on the table. _Should have known he'd run off. He always does…_

* * *

Sunrise over the Efrika Plains is a rather more sombre and determined affair for the sole human occupant of the ovoid shuttlecraft darting through the sky. Information from Efrika Egg Army Boss Axel overnight had been less than satisfactory, but Eggman isn't going to let that slow him down. Using what little information he possesses, the doctor works out a path across the Plains that will yield a fast yet thorough search of the areas showing the strongest signs of containing a Chaos Emerald.

A few hours later, the shuttle's sensors pick up a promising lead. Homing in on the signal, Eggman takes the shuttle down into a canyon, flying with careful pace along its length. Before long however, the canyon narrows enough to prevent Eggman continuing further.

"Just my luck," the doctor sighs, bringing the shuttle to a halt. He then opens a communication channel to Axel.

"What do you want?" Axel asks as he accepts the call.

"What, no pleasantries?" Eggman answers.

"Just getting straight to the point," Axel explains.

"Fair enough," Eggman accepts. "Send one of your units to my co‑ordinates," he orders.

"So, you found the Emerald."

"Almost. Unfortunately, this canyon isn't being very accommodating to my shuttle."

"You'll be needing transport then?"

"No need: I have my own."

"Very well, sir. A squad will be with you within the hour."

* * *

Back on _Sky Patrol_ , Sally flops back into the captain's chair. "That was _exhausting_ ," she breathes. "Who would have thought it would be so difficult negotiating access to Little Planet?"

"The Union of Eurish has a reputation for recalcitrance," Nicole replies.

"But we put the planet back together!" Sally protests. "And how many other times have we defeated Eggman and saved the world? Surely that counts for something?"

"The Union has always been resistant to outside interference," Nicole reminds. "Especially from Northamer."

"The Archipelago is independent of Northamer though," Sally argues.

"True, but Eurish obviously doesn't see it that way," Nicole observes. "Of course, it doesn't help that Avalon broke away fairly recently. The Union was lucky to pull through without losing any more members, but they also unfortunately became more insular and protective, and it's made their relationship with Northamer and the Kingdom of Acorn frostier than it used to be."

"I'm painfully aware of the politics," Sally states flatly. "Just one of the perils of being next in line for the throne," she sighs.

"Morning," Lilac greets as she enters the bridge. "Everything OK?" she asks, a little concerned at Sally's obvious exhaustion.

"Yeah," Sally assures. "I'm just worn out after negotiations with the Union of Eurish. If it wasn't for all the politicking‑"

"Say no more," Lilac interrupts. "I fully understand how difficult it can be negotiating with political leaders. Especially Mayor Zao, who's only interested in two things: money, and getting re‑elected."

"I won't bore you with the details then," Sally decides. "Getting straight to the point, we've obtained access to Little Planet, where the next Emerald is. However, we can only send in three people. Given the planet is still surrounded by the decaying remains of the _Death Egg MkII_ , it'll be very dangerous. Whoever goes will need to be both fast and tough. Sonic is the obvious choice, but he's also reckless, and I don't want to take the risk he'll be injured, or worse. On the other hand, we don't have anyone that has his sort of abilities."

"Actually, you kinda do," Lilac informs.

"Who?" Sally asks.

"Me," Lilac answers. "OK, I'm not nearly as fast as Sonic, but I can run at highway speeds for a long time without getting tired. Plus, I'm a trained ninja, and being a dragon, I'm physically more resilient than most. Not to mention I've got a couple of neat tricks up my sleeves. Even though I don't actually have any sleeves," she finishes, referring to her sleeveless blue vest.

"And you're definitely more cautious than Sonic." Sally considers her options. "OK, you're on the team."

"I won't let you down," Lilac promises. "Who else is on the team?"

"Bunnie and myself," Sally answers. "Bunnie in case we need her enhanced strength, and me because of these," she explains, standing and activating her ring‑blades.

Lila steps back in surprise as the ring‑blades activate. "Where did you get those?" she asks, clearly impressed.

"Dr Ellidy made them for me," Sally explains, deactivating the blades. "I travel nowhere without them: they've saved my pelt so many times I've lost count. Of course, these aren't the only gifts from him I travel everywhere with," she adds affectionately, looking to Nicole.

"I've taken the liberty of performing a full scan of Little Planet," Nicole informs, blushing slightly in reaction to Sally's words. "There are many areas that are stable, but equally, there are areas that could collapse from even the smallest vibration. Also, even though most of the sections have no power, there are a few with enough residual power to alter the local gravity field."

"That'll be interesting," Lilac comments. "While it won't be my first time on a spaceship, the _Dreadnought_ 's artificial gravity made it feel no different to being on Avalice itself."

"Nicole, how long will it take to load yourself and the scan data onto your handheld?" Sally asks.

"It's already done," Nicole informs.

"In that case, let's not waste time," Sally decides.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Sally, Nicole, and Lilac arrive at the hangar to find Antoine and Bunnie waiting for them, the _Twister_ ready for take‑off.

"Hey Sally‑girl!" Bunnie greets.

"Hey Bunnie," Sally returns. "Ready to go?"

"Sure am!"

Sally climbs up onto the top wing of the _Twister_. "Hop aboard, Lilac!"

"On… there?" Lilac asks, a little nervous.

"Ze only alternative is to be sitting in my lap," Antoine informs.

"There's plenty of strong handholds," Sally assures.

"And ma sugar‑Twan's a fine pilot," Bunnie adds. "Get ya there 'n' back smoother than anythin'."

"Merci, ma belle amour," Antoine thanks.

"I hope so…" With a little trepidation, Lilac climbs onto the top wing, and positions herself at the opposite end from Sally. "Carol's going to give me a lot of flak for doing this," she mutters to herself as she takes a firm grip of the handholds.

"Ready?" Sally asks Lilac.

"Not really," Lilac answers. "But we can't waste time. Let's do it to it."

"That's Sonic's line," Bunnie teases.

"Antoine, you're clear for take‑off," Sally instructs.

Moments later, the _Twister_ flies out the hangar and turns towards Little Planet, Bunnie flying alongside.

* * *

Antoine lands the _Twister_ smoothly on the outer hull of the _Death Egg MkII_. As soon as the plane halts, Lilac leaps off the wing and plants her feet firmly on the hull surface.

"You OK Lilac?" Sally asks, casually hopping off the other end of the wing.

"Yeah, sure, of course," Lilac replies, not quite masking the fact she found the experience surprisingly scary.

"I was scared my first time too," Sally assures. "You get used to it pretty quickly."

"The silly thing is, it shouldn't scare me," Lilac admits. "After all, I piloted a huge hologrammatic dragon into a warzone: riding a biplane should be easy…"

"Ya did fine, sugar‑dragon!" Bunnie complements, joining the girls as Antoine takes off to return to _Sky Patrol_. "It'll be easier on the return trip."

"Hopefully," Lilac half‑heartedly agrees.

Sally unhooks the handheld computer and opens it. "Show us the way Nicole," she requests.

The lynx's face appears on the screen next to an arrow pointing to a gemstone symbol. "Locating the Emerald is proving tricky due to the residual energy pockets. I'll keep refining the search algorithm as we go."

Suddenly, the hull vibrates violently.

"That's our cue to get moving," Sally decides, leading the trio across the hull and into the abandoned _Death Egg MkII_.

* * *

"Is anyone else creeped out by this place?" Lilac asks, feeling chilly despite the calm and surprisingly temperate conditions.

"Ain't nothin' creepier than an abandoned Eggman place," Bunnie agrees. "Ya never know when y'all gonna get a nasty surprise…"

"Keep alert and you'll be fine," Sally assures, though it's no secret she too is nervous, given her ring‑blades are permanently active and ready.

Over the next half hour, the trio pass swiftly yet cautiously through the silent corridors and along the lifeless walkways, just waiting for a surprise attack or a trap to be sprung. But their first problem is rather more basic: a collapsed walkway halts their progress.

"Nicole, any routes around this?" Sally asks.

Nicole processes for a few moments. "Yes, but no route is shorter than two hours."

"And getting across this gap is a matter of a minute or two," Sally finishes.

"Ah can carry you both across," Bunnie volunteers. "One at a time, of course."

"Given the alternative is a detour we can't afford, I'm inclined to agree," Sally decides. "Lilac?"

Lilac surveys the gap. "I think, if I can get a good enough run‑up, I can jump this."

"Really?" Sally and Bunnie ask in disbelief.

"Like I said earlier, I have a couple of tricks up my non‑existent sleeves," Lilac assures.

"OK," Sally reluctantly agrees. "Though it's probably best if Bunnie takes me across first, just in case."

"I'll limber up in the meantime," Lilac decides.

"How do you want to do this?" Sally asks Bunnie, deactivating her ring‑blades and clipping Nicole to her shorts' waistband.

"Ah think it's best if you're on ma back," Bunnie decides. "That way, ah can angle ma thrusters without riskin' burnin' y'all."

Carrying Sally across puts a strain on Bunnie's leg thrusters, but they make it across safely and without incident. After they give Lilac the signal, the dragoness trots away from the gap to give herself as much room as possible, accelerates as hard as she can, leaps off the very edge of the ledge, Dragon Boosts as late as possible to get the distance…

…and falls short by just six inches.

With Lilac's scream piercing the air, Bunnie immediately leaps into action. Pushing hard, she quickly overtakes the plummeting dragon. "I got ya!" she calls out, positioning herself to catch Lilac.

Lilac slams hard into Bunnie, but Bunnie bears the impact well. It takes a few moments, but soon the pair are hovering stable.

"You OK, sugar?" Bunnie asks, a little winded from the catch.

"I‑I'm j‑just a b‑bit sh‑shaken, th‑that's a‑all," Lilac stammers. "D‑Don't t‑tell C‑Carol I j‑jumped a g‑gap th‑that w‑was t‑too b‑big, p‑please?"

"What gap?" Bunnie winks. "Now take a deep breath, and ah'll have ya back up there and safe before ya know it," she adds, gently thrusting back up to where Sally is waiting.

By the time they get back up to the walkway, Lilac has recovered her composure. "Sorry for the scare," she apologises as she plants her feet firmly on safe ground.

At first, Sally simply looks at Lilac disapprovingly. But a few moments later, her façade cracks. "You're almost as bad as he is," she smirks, referring to Sonic.

"Yeah…" Lilac blushes.

"Come on, let's continue," Sally commands, still smiling.

The girls resume their Emerald hunt, following Nicole's directions into the next section.

"How close are we, Nicole?" Sally asks.

"Assuming no further delays, we'll be there in less than ten‑" Nicole starts.

Suddenly, a massive shipquake rattles through the section. Grabbing hold of anything that looks remotely solid, the girls hear the rending of metal. Without warning, the walkway lurches violently, throwing all three to the deck. A second later, the whole section drops three feet.

An eerie silence descends, broken only by the girls' rapid breathing and pounding hearts. For a whole minute, none of them dare move, scared of triggering another shipquake.

"I think it's settled," Sally whispers urgently. "We should move."

"Agreed," the other two whisper back.

Slowly and carefully, the trio stand and regain their bearings, then resume their hunt, every step as light as they can possibly make it.

The sound of rending metal resumes.

"Oh shi‑" Lilac begins.

The entire section falls free of the _Death Egg MkII_ , plummeting directly towards the surface of Little Planet itself.


	10. Marooned

In the heart of the Palmtree Panic Zone, the wreckage creaks softly as it settles after its impact. From first appearances, it seems that no‑one could have survived the impact. But the four involuntary passengers find fortune smiling on them, though whether they'd see it that way is another question entirely.

* * *

Deep in the heart of the twisted wreckage, a purple dragoness stirs painfully. _Ugh… pain… all over… yet somehow… in one piece… That was quite a ride… lucky to be alive._ Slowly, Lilac opens her eyes to see a razor‑sharp spike just an inch from her nose. Yelping loudly in surprise, Lilac whacks her head hard against the twisted metal plate behind her as she pushes away from the spike. "Ow… as if I didn't hurt enough already…"

Rubbing her head, Lilac turns her attention to her surroundings. Sensing no immediate danger, she attempts to get up, only to find her legs pinned beneath what's left of a girder. "Well, this isn't good… Bunnie? Sally? I need a little help."

"Help might be a bit tricky," Sally replies.

Lilac looks to the sound of the chipmunk's voice to find Sally also pinned down ten feet away. "Ah, yeah, I see why," she sighs, noting the torn panels pinning Sally immobile.

"Ah ain't much better off," Bunnie informs, hanging tangled in a mass of wires and cables in the middle of what used to be an open expanse of starship, but is now a dimly‑lit sarcophagus. "Ah would try to free myself, but every move just pulls it tighter."

"And with no Power Ring, I cannot manifest," Nicole informs, her miraculously undamaged handheld resting beside Sally.

"So, we're stuck here until the others come and rescue us," Lilac concludes.

"Yeah," Bunnie confirms.

"Pretty much," Sally agrees.

"Well, that's just fantastic!" Lilac spits sarcastically. "At least this time I'm not being electrocuted by a psychotic alien warlord," she adds rather more quietly, hair whips twitching angrily.

"Well, that's somethin' good, right?" Bunnie asks, a little confused.

"Understatement of the millennium," Lilac sighs, calm again after her brief outburst. "Where's that glow coming from, anyway?"

"The Chaos Emerald above you that's just out of reach," Sally answers.

Lilac looks above her to see the faintly glowing cyan gemstone. "A _cyan_ emerald?"

"Correct," Sally confirms.

"Weird," Lilac comments. "Also, I think I can get it, if I use my hair whips."

Pushing herself as upright as she can, limited as she is by the awkward angle her legs are pinned at, Lilac stretches her hair whips to their limit. Searching by feel, she locates the Emerald and slowly begins to work it free. Sweat runs down Lilac's face due to the effort required, but her toil is successful, the Emerald landing next to her with a clatter.

Lilac collapses from fatigue. "That… was… I can't… wow," she pants.

"You OK?" Sally asks.

"Yeah," Lilac assures. "Just… was a lot… of effort… s'all… Awkward angle." A few deep breaths later, and Lilac has recovered. "So," she continues, picking up the Emerald, "how do you use this thing?"

* * *

"Zey should have found ze Emerald by now," Antoine mutters, pacing across the bridge of _Sky Patrol_ once more.

"Chill, 'Twan!" Sonic dismisses, relaxing in the captain's chair. "I'm sure they'll call any second."

"'Chill', he says," Antoine mimics mockingly. "It is easy to be ze chill when it is not your belle amour on zat decaying monstrosity…"

"OK, OK," Sonic concedes. "We'll call them and find out everything is alright. Alright?"

"Alright," Antoine agrees.

Sonic twists around to sit in the chair properly, then taps the appropriate buttons on the control panel. "Huh."

"Are you having ze problem?" Antoine asks.

"I can't get through to them," Sonic reveals. "Can't even pick up Nicole's tracking signal."

"Zat is worrying," Antoine observes.

"Probably just a glitch," Sonic assures. "I'll get Tails to look at it."

"Look at what?" Tails asks as he enters the bridge.

"The radio's not working," Sonic explains.

"Oh, that," Tails replies. "I've already checked it: it's working fine."

"So why can't we get through to Sal?"

"We're about to go and find out."

"Who is?"

"Me, Carol, and Amy."

"What?" Sonic asks, surprised. "I should be going down there!"

"Amy doesn't want you there," Tails reveals. "Seems she's still upset over your little escape at breakfast. Anyway, I just came to fetch Antoine: we'll need both the _Tornado_ and the _Twister_ on this trip."

"So, I can come too?" Sonic asks.

"I'm in ze agreement with Amy," Antoine decides.

Sonic makes to object, but decides against it. "Fine," he relents, slumping in the captain's chair again. "Just… don't take any unnecessary risks."

"Looks who's talking," Tails teases. "Come on Antoine: the quicker we get down there, the quicker we'll know they're OK."

* * *

"Nearly got it… Come on… Come on… Almost… Gah!" Lilac slumps back down, exhausted by her attempts to tap into the Emerald's power. "It's no use… I can't tap it."

"Few can," Sally assures.

"If only this was the Water Elemental Crystal," Lilac sighs. "That I _can_ use. I'd have hydrocut us all free in seconds."

"Elemental Crystal?" Bunnie asks.

"They're something that exists on our world," Lilac explains. "In a way, they're a bit like the Chaos Emeralds, as they're a source of seemingly unlimited power. However, to use one, you must have an elemental affinity that matches. I have Water affinity, so I can use the Water Crystal, but the Fire, Metal, Wood, and Earth Crystals are inert to me."

"They sound pretty useful," Sally observes.

"They are," Lilac agrees. "They're also incredibly dangerous. I've seen what happened to someone who allowed herself to be consumed by the Fire Crystal's power: it wasn't pretty. But that was nothing compared to what one of my own kin did to get his hands on all five. Shang Tu may look rebuilt, but there's still a lot of work to do before life returns to normal for everyone…"

"When ya say 'one of your kin'…" Bunnie prompts.

"Another dragon," Lilac explains. "But not one from Avalice. I don't know what planet he's from, or if he's the only one, but what I do know is, while he is my kin by way of species, he is _not_ my kin by way of anything that matters. At least he's now safely locked away, never to terrorise the Origin Kingdoms or the Gotoshi ever again."

"Can we talk about somethin' happier?" Bunnie asks.

"Sorry," Lilac apologises. "Guess it did get a bit heavy there…"

"It's OK, sugar‑dragon," Bunnie assures. "We all got our dark stories. Ah just figured it's time for a lighter tale."

"Oh, there is something I want to ask about," Lilac remembers. "Chili dogs: are they any good?"

"Depends on what sorta food you like!" Bunnie answers. "Me, I like 'em. Sugar‑Sal, on the other hand…"

"Oh, don't remind me!" Sally chuckles. "That first time… oh boy…"

"Not so keen, I take it?" Lilac asks, intrigued.

"It didn't help that the first dog I ever had was one made by Sonic," Sally explains. "He likes them spicy. And I mean _really_ spicy…"

"Come on girl," Bunnie encourages. "You can't leave it hangin'!"

"Alright, I'll tell," Sally smiles. "I was a little nervous initially, but I have to admit, it smelled really nice, though the spiciness did tickle inside my nose. After some encouragement, I took a bite. At first, it was delicious: loads of flavour, nice and juicy. But after I swallowed, the spice hit. _Hard._ It felt like a volcano erupted in my mouth! As for my reaction… let's just say it was less than dignified."

"It was quite a show," Bunnie continues. "I'll never forget that face!"

"I'm just glad no‑one got a picture of that!" Sally laughs. "How much water did I drink? Two, three pints?"

"Just the two," Bunnie reminds. "Woulda been three, but you were guzzlin' so fast a load of it went dahn yer front instead!"

"Sonic was of course disappointed, but he got over it when he saw me looking like I'd just been hit with a barrage of water balloons," Sally recalls.

"I'm not sure if I want to try them anymore now," Lilac thinks aloud in contrast to how amused she's looking.

"Ah, you'll be fine," Bunnie assures.

"I hope so," Lilac replies. "It's just I'm used to Avalician cuisine, which can be spicy, but it's always done delicately, for flavour. I'm not sure if I can handle something as potent as one of Sonic's chili dogs. And yet, I can't help but be curious."

"Ya won't regret it!" Bunnie assures.

The trio falls silent for a few moments, content to relax in the pleasant atmosphere.

"Someone's coming to get us, right?" Lilac asks.

"If ah know ma sugar‑Twan, he's on his way right now," Bunnie assures.

"Good," Lilac nods. "While we wait, want to hear one of my funny stories?"

"Sure," Sally agrees.

"This one is from before we became global heroes," Lilac begins. "We were just a couple of thieves, stealing to survive. Luckily, the Kingdom Stone temple has, or more accurately had, regular events where the rich folk would show up and do rich people things. And they don't tend to notice a few crystals going missing occasionally…"

* * *

"Oh boy, this doesn't look good," Tails observes as the _Tornado_ flies over the gaping hole in the decaying _Death Egg MkII_ , Amy and Carol riding on the top wing.

"Zut alors!" Antoine exclaims over the radio, following Tails in the _Twister_. "Do you think zey were in zat section?"

"I can't detect any life signs on the ship itself," Tails reports. "We'd better get down to the surface."

* * *

Five minutes later, the _Tornado_ and _Twister_ find the mangled wreckage crash site. Landing beside it, Amy and Carol hop off the _Tornado_ and immediately start looking for a way in.

"Hold on girls!" Tails calls as he climbs out of the _Tornado_. "Let T‑Pup go first!"

Amy and Carol step back to allow T‑Pup to approach the wreckage. With Tails guiding him via remote control, T‑Pup begins to cut a path through the wreckage large enough for everyone to follow. After T‑Pup, Tails is first into the wreckage, with Amy, Carol, and Antoine following.

* * *

"…then I tried to open the crate, and wouldn't you just know, it had locked itself!" Lilac continues. "Carol wasn't too impressed I'd got us both trapped, and understandably so, as it meant we'd have to give up what we stole. And if I'm honest, General Gong was a bit mean keeping us locked in there the rest of the day. But it wasn't too bad really. We had a couple of guards tending to us, and it was quite warm and surprisingly comfortable, even if I was Carol's futon for a few hours. And I did manage to keep enough crystals to buy Carol a _colossal_ plate of sushi to make up for my mistake. But yeah, the whole affair was quite embarrassing for me. We were laughing about it the next day though."

There's a moment's silence, then Bunnie and Sally burst into laughter.

"It's like something from a sketch show!" Bunnie remarks.

"Or some budget sit‑com!" Sally adds.

"Hey!" Lilac retorts playfully. "Mid‑range sit‑com, please!"

After a few moments, the laugher dies away, the trio feeling very relaxed despite their predicament.

Bunnie's ears prick. "Hey, do you two hear that?"

Sally and Lilac focus on their hearing. "It sounds like… cutting?" Sally ventures.

"Could it be Eggman?" Lilac asks. "This used to be part of his ship."

"He wouldn't be that precise," Sally explains.

Suddenly, a door‑sized section of wall collapses inwards with a clang. "Hi there!" Tails greets. "The rescue party has arrived!"

"An' jus' as ah was getting comfortable!" Bunnie jokes.

Tails, T‑Pup, and Antoine make quick work of freeing Bunnie, while Amy's precision hammer swings release Sally from her bonds. Carol however decides to take her time with Lilac, starting by sitting on the girder pinning the dragon's legs, arms folded, wearing a disapproving look.

"Hey Carol, glad to see you," Lilac greets, feigning innocence. "Could you give me a hand? Or, more accurately, a claw?"

Carol simply raises an eyebrow.

"OK," Lilac sighs. "I should have talked to you before volunteering."

"Did you at least find out the risks before?" Carol asks sternly, tracing her fingers over the girder.

"Sort of," Lilac answers. "I mean, I volunteered, _then_ researched the risks, but that's still a good thing, right? I at least prepared myself for the possibilities, although I didn't really expect to be trapped in a piece of falling spaceship, and… you're not really bothered, are you?"

"Nah," Carol admits, dropping the serious act in favour of her trademark cheeky grin. "After all, you did say you'd be on the next mission after the Thunder Plains Zone. Were you at least cautious?"

"Yes," Lilac lies.

But Carol isn't buying it.

"…OK, I admit I might have tried to jump a gap that was a _little_ too wide for me to jump…" Lilac sheepishly admits.

Carol rolls her eyes. "Whatever am I going to do with you," she sighs in amusement.

"You could cut the girder and set me free," Lilac suggests.

"I dunno," Carol muses, admiring her claws. "Think I might go enjoy the nice weather outside for a bit first."

"You can't be serious," Lilac replies flatly.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in an hour or two," Carol assures, getting up to follow the others out of the wreckage.

"Wait, you're actually leaving me here?" Lilac asks, surprised. "But‑"

The girder moves as Lilac sits up.

"…you've already cut the girder and set me free," Lilac realises.

"Sorry, couldn't resist teasin' ya!" Carol grins.

Lilac flops down with a sigh, feeling a little embarrassed at how easily Carol tricked her.

"See ya outside!" Carol chuckles as she follows the others out of the wreckage.

Lilac mumbles incoherently in response.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Efrika, Dr Eggman has recovered the grey Chaos Emerald. However, his celebrations are short‑lived when he gets an alert from the Avalon Egg Army.

"So, those rodents think they can just waltz into my domain?" he asks himself after reading the message. "They may have gotten in, but they won't be getting out!"


	11. Chaotic Escape

Lilac joins the others outside, cyan Chaos Emerald in hand, walking slightly funny as she works the stiffness and soreness out of her legs. "Anyone know a good masseuse?" she asks the group.

"I know a thing or two," Carol volunteers.

"Thanks for the offer, but I know how felines like to claw things," Lilac replies. "Also, I remember what happened last time you gave me a massage."

"Oh yeah…" Carol recalls, blushing slightly.

"What happened?" Amy asks.

"Let's just say I found out what it's like to be a scratching post," Lilac explains.

"You promised never to tell anyone about that!" Carol protests.

"I told Bunnie and Sally about the time I got us both locked in that crate, if that helps," Lilac placates.

"…OK, we're even," Carol accepts, her trademark grin back.

"I want to hear that story!" Amy asks.

"I'll tell you when we're back on _Sky Patrol_ ," Lilac promises.

"About that," Carol interrupts, her gaze fixed on the sky. "Can anyone else see a hole the size of Mayor Zao's ego?"

The others look up to the sky. "Who is Mayor Zao?" Antoine asks.

"His ego's almost as big as Sonic's," Lilac explains.

"In zat case, no, I do not see a hole zat big," Antoine reports.

"Me neither," Lilac confirms. "And that presents a problem."

"Eggman knows we're here," Sally realises.

"And he's sent the cavalry," Nicole reports. "Incoming badnik horde, led by Silver Sonic."

"Size?" Sally asks.

"Two hundred," Nicole answers.

"In which case, we'll need all the hands we can get," Sally decides, taking a Power Ring from her pocket and fixing it to the handheld computer.

Nicole appears in hologram form a moment later. "Let's hope the Ring lasts long enough," she states, accepting her handheld from Sally.

"I have a spare," Sally informs, lighting up her ring‑blades. "No Red Ring, sadly."

"I wouldn't risk the Red Ring anyway," Nicole reminds. "Not after last time."

"Me, Bunnie, and T‑Pup will slow them down," Tails volunteers as he and the augmented rabbit take off.

"I wish Pangu was here," Lilac sighs.

"Who needs Pangu when you got your tail?" Carol boasts, referring to herself.

"You're right," Lilac agrees. "Let's do it to it!"

"That's Sonic's line!" Amy replies, hefting her hammer.

The badnik horde descends on the heroes.

Tails, Bunnie, and T‑Pup are first to engage. Bunnie unleashes powerful blasts from her arm cannon as she tries to disrupt the horde by flying right through the middle of it while Tails and T‑Pup attempt to outflank. But despite their efforts, the horde remains on target and smashes right into the group on the ground.

The heroes fight back hard. Sally elegantly dances from badnik to badnik as she cleaves each in half with her ring‑blades, while Amy is brutal, her savage hammer swings leaving a trail of mangled machinery. Antoine's swordplay is precise and efficient, and Nicole protects her friends where she can with summoned green shields, slicing a few badniks of her own with them.

But nothing compares to the trail of destruction left by Lilac and Carol. The wildcat fights on training and instinct, her hands so fast they're naught but a blur: by the time a badnik is dispatched, she's halfway through the next. Lilac is not as fast, but a few well‑timed Cyclones make short work of several badniks at a time, her hair whips ripping through them like shrapnel through paper. Together, they dispatch badniks at almost twice the rate of anyone else.

However, even with Tails, Bunnie, and T‑Pup now offering aerial support, the horde's sheer size starts to slowly turn to their advantage. Silver Sonic chooses this moment to strike, swiping Bunnie aside with ease as he charges directly at the heart of the battle.

"Ma chérie!" Antoine exclaims, breaking from the fight to assist Bunnie, only to be surrounded by badniks.

"Keep fighting!" Sally commands. "She can take care of herself!"

Antoine is about to argue, but stops himself when he sees Bunnie has recovered and rejoined the fight. "Oui, ma princesse!"

Silver Sonic slams hard into the ground, knocking everyone not airborne off their feet.

"What on Avalice is _that?_ " Lilac cries out as she picks herself up.

"Silver Sonic, the horde commander," Sally explains, doing her best to not be overrun by badniks as she recovers.

"I'll take him," Lilac volunteers.

Silver Sonic turns to face Lilac. Wordlessly, he curls into a ball and spin dashes directly at the dragoness.

"You're not the only one who can do that!" Lilac quips as she jumps, curling up to charge a Dragon Boost.

But this is no normal Dragon Boost.

Fuelled by the energy of the Chaos Emerald, Lilac spins far faster than the normally spins. Before she can work out why, the Boost fires with a massive shockwave, instantly smashing dozens of badniks and knocking everyone off their feet again. Enveloped in an intense aura, Lilac tears right through Silver Sonic as if he was paper. Struggling to remain in control, the dragoness then pulls up through the badnik horde, her wake ripping them all to shreds. As the last few badniks are dispatched by the Freedom Fighters, Lilac, now out of control, dives straight for Carol.

Panicking, Lilac drops the Emerald.

The Boost cancels, but it's too late: Lilac slams into Carol, sending them both tumbling a full thirty feet before coming to a rest, the wildcat pinned under the dragoness.

Fearful of the worst, the Freedom Fighters race to assist Lilac and Carol.

"Oh ma stars, are you girls OK?" Bunnie asks, worry dripping from every syllable.

"Can I answer when the world stops spinning?" Carol asks, heavily dazed.

"I think I broke my pride bone," Lilac mumbles, half‑insensible.

"Give us a few minutes," Carol requests.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Amy volunteers.

"OK," Sally agrees, signalling for the others to give Lilac and Carol space and time to recover their wits.

"Lilac?" Carol asks.

"Chaos Emeralds rule," Lilac purrs.

"Lilac."

"Fly like an eagle…"

"Lilac."

"Wheeee!"

Carol takes a deep breath. " _LILAC!_ "

Lilac snaps out of her daze instantly. "What? Who? I'm up!" she blurts, looking around quick and aimlessly. "Ow…" she groans, clutching her head. "That wasn't a good idea."

"You were pretty out of it just now," Carol comments, relieved her friend is sensible again.

"Welcome back to the real world," Amy adds.

"Thanks," Lilac smiles weakly. "What happened?"

"You went flying around like a madman, then flew into me," Carol explains.

"Oh… Sorry," Lilac blushes.

"Why are you sorry?" Carol grins. "It was so cool! And the way you tore through Silver Sonic was awesome!"

"Really?" Lilac asks.

"Really!" Carol confirms.

"Are you hurt?"

"Bruised and battered, but otherwise OK."

Lilac then realises she's laid on top of Carol. "I should probably get off you now."

"Yep."

Lilac tries to push herself up, but her shaking arms can't support her slender frame, and she flops back down. "Just… give me a minute."

"OK, but only a‑" Carol begins, stopping when Lilac starts snoring. "…minute," she finishes with a sigh.

Amy takes the opportunity to check both Lilac and Carol for injuries. "You two are really tough!" she remarks in awe. "Tumbling like that, and not one broken bone!"

"We've been through worse and come out fighting," Carol boasts, not entirely without exaggeration.

"I don't doubt it." Amy signals to Sally and Bunnie. "Don't worry, we'll get Lilac back to _Sky Patrol_ safely."

"Everything OK here?" Sally asks as she and Bunnie join Amy.

"Yeah," Carol assures. "Just one tiny little problem…"

"I see," Sally smiles, trying not to laugh at Lilac's undignified snoring.

With Bunnie's assistance, Sally rolls Lilac off Carol.

"Ah, that's better!" Carol sighs with relief as she stands, faltering slightly as she does so.

"Now we just need to figure out how to get her back to _Sky Patrol_ ," Sally thinks aloud.

Carol thinks a moment. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but there's a few rolls of bandages in the _Tornado_ , isn't there?"

"For first aid, yes," Sally confirms.

"In that case, I have an idea," Carol smiles mischievously.

Sally and Bunnie exchange confused yet curious looks.

* * *

The flight back to _Sky Patrol_ proves uneventful, and both the _Tornado_ and the _Twister_ make it back to the Freedom Fighters' flying fortress in good time.

"Hey guys!" Sonic greets as the planes come to a halt. "Glad to see you all back safe! Run into any trouble?"

"Not really," Amy teases. "Just saving the girls from the wreckage they were trapped in, then fighting off Silver Sonic and a badnik horde. Boring stuff like that."

"I knew I should have come!" Sonic replies.

"We're all back safely, that's what matters," Sally assures.

"Yeah, I guess," Sonic relents. "Where's Lilac?"

"She's a little… tied up right now," Carol smirks, looking over to the _Twister_.

Sonic follows Carol's gaze to see Lilac securely bound to the wing of the _Twister_ , snoring loudly. "Is _she_ making that noise?"

"Sure is," Carol confirms. "That's why she normally sleeps on her front."

Lilac stops snoring abruptly. "Carol?" she murmurs as she stirs awake.

"Right here, Lilac!" Carol chirps, grinning widely.

"Good." Lilac attempts to get up, only to find she can't move. "Erm… what's going on?"

"We couldn't think of a better way to get you back," Carol explains.

Lilac lifts her head to see she's held firmly in place with copious amounts of bandages. "I see. You're going to cut me free, right?"

"Eventually," Carol teases.

"You're leaving me like this?" Lilac asks, surprised.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in an hour or so," Carol assures as the group heads out of the hangar.

"But‑" Lilac begins, but it's too late: everyone's already left the hangar.


	12. Of Hedgehogs and Dragons

"The Union of Eurish is hailing again," Nicole informs.

"Keep pretending our communications array is out of order," Sally waves dismissively. "I'm too tired to deal with their politics right now."

"They're very insistent," Nicole continues. "If you don't answer them, they'll contact your father."

"Then they can get told to get stuffed by a king," Sally decides, curling up under her blanket.

Nicole makes to persist, but her emotional subroutines activate, and she decides to leave her friend to rest instead. "I'll make sure you're not disturbed," she promises, leaving Sally's room and returning to the corridor, locking the door behind her.

"Did you tell her Eggman's got another Emerald?" Sonic asks.

Nicole jumps in surprise. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" she hisses.

"You really didn't know I was here?" Sonic asks, pointing to a nearby security camera.

"I prefer not to use them unless necessary," Nicole explains. "It feels like I'm spying when I do, and I don't like spying on my friends."

"Fair enough," Sonic shrugs.

"No, I didn't tell her," Nicole finally answers. "I'll tell her later when she's rested."

"But‑"

"When she's rested," Nicole repeats sternly. "Unless you want the sprinklers set on you again?" she adds teasingly.

"I'm gonna go see if Lilac's been freed yet," Sonic decides, sprinting away.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sonic enters the hangar. "Lilac?"

"Still here," Lilac sighs.

"Carol not come to free you yet?" Sonic asks as he approaches the _Twister_.

"It's only been twenty minutes," Lilac reminds. "It's actually been surprisingly relaxing, being tied to this wing. Sure, I can't move, but I'm comfortable. It's getting a bit boring now though."

"Good thing I came by," Sonic smiles, untying the bandages holding Lilac in place.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How do you find being a hero so easy?"

Sonic pauses a moment to think. "I dunno," he answers, resuming freeing Lilac. "I've been doing it for so long, I don't remember any other way of life."

"I'm still pretty new to the whole hero thing," Lilac reveals. "A little over a year ago, I was just a petty thief, scraping a basic yet enjoyable living in the heart of Dragon Valley. But now, every Avalician knows my name. Even if I wear a disguise, I get recognised. There aren't many dragons on Avalice: the only three I know are a Red Scarf Leader, a prisoner in the Shang Tu dungeon, and me, the so‑called 'Saviour of Avalice'. It's quite a title to live up to… Sometimes, I wish it never got out I was involved."

"What are you talking about?" Sonic asks, untying the last bandage. "Being a hero is great! Everywhere you go, people praising you, giving you gifts, and just generally being way past cool with you. I love it!"

"Yeah, but you also said you've been doing it for so long you don't know anything different," Lilac reminds as she slides off the wing, glad to be free. "I, on the other hand, _do_ know a different life, one of privacy and anonymity. Thanks for freeing me."

"My pleasure. Wanna hang out?"

"Sure, why not?" Lilac pauses when she hears a soft growling sound. "Uh… That was me," she blushes. "Kinda hungry."

"I know just the thing!" Sonic winks.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Lilac is staring at a plate of half a dozen freshly made chili dogs. "Six? I was expecting one, maybe two…"

"It's a light snack," Sonic smirks, tucking into his own half dozen. "You should see how many I eat when I'm hungry!"

"A light snack‽"

"For me, yeah."

"But this could feed three people easily!"

"At the speed I run, I burn a _lot_ of energy. Now get stuck in: don't wanna let them go cold!"

"OK then." Lilac picks up the first chili dog and takes a good sniff. "Wow, that smells good!"

"Wait until you taste it."

With a little hesitation, Lilac takes a bite. Initially, she's not sure what to think, but in less than a moment, it's clear she's enjoying it, a conclusion reinforced when she eagerly eats the rest of it, barely pausing for breath. "That was so _delicious!_ " she chimes. "And… wow, that's hot!" she adds as the spice hits hard. "If it was any hotter, I'd be breathing fire!"

"You say you're a dragon, yet you look so different to my friend Dulcy," Sonic observes.

"Well," Lilac begins, her eyes watering a little from the spice, yet starting her second chili dog without hesitation, "aside from the fact I'm from a different planet in a different dimension, I'm a water dragon."

"Does that mean you don't breathe fire?"

"I will if I eat all these," Lilac quips. "But seriously, no I don't breathe fire. What I can do though is hold my breath underwater far longer than every Avalician I've ever met. Also, I'm a naturally strong swimmer. In fact, I'm so comfortable in the water I'm surprised I don't have gills!"

"I'm the complete opposite," Sonic reveals. "I can't stand water. Unless it's in a bottle or a glass, I stay away from it as much as I can."

"Pity," Lilac comments as she finishes her second chili dog and picks up her third. "Swimming is really relaxing, especially in a nice warm lake."

"I prefer to keep my quills dry," Sonic replies. "Besides, I enjoy running too much."

"I guess you don't get to do a lot of that on this ship though."

Sonic shrugs. "It's big enough most of the time, especially since we're not on board for days on end."

"Y'know, I've not had a good long run since coming here," Lilac realises.

"Next place we land, we should have a race," Sonic suggests.

"As nice as that sounds, it wouldn't be a fair competition," Lilac replies, beginning chili dog number four. "I raced against another version of you in a different dimension, and, if I'm honest, it was embarrassing."

"Another version of me?" Sonic asks, surprised.

"Yeah," Lilac confirms. "He was taller and a bit skinnier than you. He also wore a brown scarf that I thought looked silly."

"The other me wears a scarf?" Sonic bursts into laughter. "You're right, that _would_ look silly! Although, if it was a red one like your friend's, it would match my sneaks."

"Hmm… That could work, I suppose," Lilac agrees. "On the other hand, the red could clash badly with your blue fur."

"Plus, when you look this cool, why change it?" Sonic smirks smugly. "How did you get into the hero business?"

Lilac pauses a moment. "Y'know, it just kinda… happened," she begins, reaching for chili dog number five. "To cut a long story short: one day, Carol and I were racing through Dragon Valley on our way to Relic Maze, when I saw a plane go down deep in the valley. I raced off to help the pilot, and three days later, me, Carol, and Milla saved the whole planet from a psychotic alien warlord." Lilac subconsciously takes hold of a hair whip. "What about yourself?"

"I was just a kid looking for adventure," Sonic begins. "I didn't have much, but then I didn't need much. So long as I had my plane and a place to run, I was happy."

"You have your own plane?" Lilac asks.

"The _Tornado_ ," Sonic answers. "Although nowadays it's only mine by technicality: for all practical purposes, it's Tails' plane now. Anyway, one day I flew to Westside Island, and met this group that were hiding in the village of Knothole after being forced out of Mobotropolis. I agreed to help them partly to satisfy my desire for adventure, and partly because when a princess asks for help, you help them," he explains with a cheeky smirk.

"A princess? So, the group of people you met were‑" Lilac begins.

"Correct: Sal and her friends," Sonic confirms.

"You've known them for a very long time then," Lilac observes.

"Yep," Sonic confirms. "Anyway, after rescuing who we thought was Sal's father (who later turned out to be an evil wizard in disguise), I destroyed Eggman's operations on South Island, then Tails helped me do the same on Westside Island. Eventually, we had driven Eggman back far enough to reclaim not just those two islands, but pretty much the entire Acorn Archipelago, rescuing the _real_ King Acorn along the way. Since then, I've fought countless Eggman robots, a god‑monster who ate Chaos Emeralds, a big lizard thing that tried to crash a space station into the planet, a sun god, a time travelling daemon, and a dark spirit that's normally trapped in the planet's core."

Lilac doesn't respond: she simply stares in disbelief, halfway through her sixth chili dog. "Wow… No wonder heroism comes so easily to you," she breathes, slowly resuming her meal.

"Hmm… Listing all that stuff I've done makes it sound like being a hero is my _job_ ," Sonic muses. "Maybe I should wear a tie," he jests.

"A tie would look sillier than a scarf," Lilac teases, finishing the chili dog. Reaching for the plate, she's surprised to find it empty. "Erm… where'd they go?"

"In there," Sonic answers, pointing at Lilac's stomach.

"Wait… I just ate _six_ chili dogs?"

"Yep!"

"Wow, that's‑" Lilac pauses. "Uh‑oh."

"What's up?"

"I fear I'm about to do something _very_ undignified."

"You're not going to‑"

Lilac can't hold it in any longer: she belches long and loud. "Sorry," she blushes deeply, hiding her face in her hands. "That was‑"

"Hilarious!" Sonic interrupts, laughing heartily.

"Really?" Lilac asks, peeking through her fingers.

"Of course!" Sonic assures. "It means you enjoyed the food!"

"I can't believe I ate all six," Lilac comments, dropping her hands but still blushing deeply. "And belching like that, it's _so_ undignified."

"I've seen Sal _far_ less dignified, and she's a princess," Sonic informs. "It doesn't matter how pretty, elegant, or refined you normally are, everyone secretly enjoys being crude. So, don't worry about it."

 _He thinks I'm pretty! Control yourself, girl._ "I must admit, it's a _great_ way to settle a stomach," Lilac concludes. "In fact, I think I feel another one building."

"Better out than in," Sonic winks.

Lilac waits in anticipation, but nothing happens. "False alarm," she sighs.

"You almost sounded disappointed there."

"Well… maybe a little." Lilac yawns. "And now I feel sleepy."

Sonic notices Lilac's eyelids begin to droop. "My room's closer than yours."

"You sure that's OK?"

"Yeah. Plus, it looks like you'll fall asleep before you get to your room anyway."

"Then lead the way," Lilac agrees, standing slowly and a little unsteadily.

Sonic helps Lilac on the short walk to his quarters, where the drowsy dragoness lays on the bed and closes her eyes.

"I know you're sleepy, but already?" Sonic asks himself in amusement.

"I'm still awake," Lilac smiles.

"Oh."

"Lay with me a while?"

Sonic hesitates.

"Don't worry, I just want some company, s'all," Lilac assures.

With a shrug, Sonic lays down next to Lilac.

"This is going to sound bad," Lilac begins, "but… I kinda don't want to go back home."

"We can always use a couple of extra Freedom Fighters," Sonic replies, "but your home is Avalice."

"I know," Lilac agrees. "And when we have all the Chaos Emeralds, and me and Carol go home, we'll know it's the right thing to do, and we'll be glad to be back. But that doesn't stop me wondering…"

"Avalice sounds pretty cool," Sonic comments. "If it wasn't for being needed so often here, I'd like to spend a bit of time there."

"Really?"

"All the new places for me to explore, how could I refuse?"

"Apart from being needed here."

"It'd be nice to have a break from heroing though."

"Well, if you get the chance, and can make the journey, there's room for you at our treehouse. You could bring Tails and Sally too. Any of your friends in fact: you're all welcome."

"And you and Carol are always welcome on _Sky Patrol_. As is… Milla, was it?"

"Yeah." Lilac takes hold of Sonic's hand. "I miss having her around."

"What happened? Nothing bad, I hope."

"She went on an adventure of her own, one that's very important to her."

"That sounds cool."

"Hm."

The pair fall silent for a few moments.

"Lilac?"

Lilac, having fallen asleep, doesn't respond.

"Never mind, I'll ask later," Sonic whispers, closing his eyes to snooze. Luckily for him, he falls asleep before Lilac starts snoring again.


	13. Journey to the East

_Sky Patrol_ 's continued eastern journey over Yurashia means that sunset arrives considerably earlier than usual, although given the next mission, some on board consider that a bonus. Refreshed from her nap, Sally is in the meeting room, pouring over scan data and maps of the area.

"I don't like the looks of this," the princess eventually concludes.

"There's no mistaking the signals though," Nicole informs, her hologrammatic body projected at one‑sixth height to allow her to walk on the table.

"That's what's concerning me," Sally replies. "Can I ask why you're currently small?"

"I like to be small occasionally," Nicole explains. "It offers an interesting and entertaining view of the world."

"If it wasn't for you having limited range in hologram form, you'd be perfect for this mission," Sally muses. "Your current stature would allow you to sneak into the Yurashia Egg Army base far easier than anyone else, and you'd be able to use all sorts of tiny gaps to avoid detection."

"I'd love to go on a mission like that, but to do so would require a remote projector with a power source that just doesn't exist," Nicole observes, a little disappointed.

"I'm sure it's just a matter of time before someone develops such a unit," Sally assures.

"Then I would truly be free," Nicole sighs, daydreaming about what true freedom must feel like.

Sally smiles slightly in amusement at her closest friend's daydreaming.

After a few moments, Nicole's attention snaps back to the present. "Sorry, got distracted thinking about… things."

"Don't worry about it," Sally assures. "We have plenty of time. The problem is, who to choose? We don't really have any stealth specialists."

"We may be forced to rely on speed and brute force instead," Nicole opines.

Sally sits bolt upright as a sudden breeze rushes behind her. "W‑What was that?" she asks in surprise, looking behind her to see nothing. "Huh, must have been my imagi‑" she begins as she turns back to the table, stopping when she sees an upturned beaker that wasn't there before, and no sign of Nicole. "Where'd you go?"

"Guess," Nicole sighs from inside the beaker.

"Where did this come from?" Sally asks as she lifts the beaker off Nicole.

"No idea," Nicole answers. "All I know is someone put it over me while you were looking the other way."

"Who's there?" Sally asks, her raised voice filling the room. "Show yourself!"

No‑one answers.

"I know someone else is here," Sally continues, standing and searching the room. "I have a mission to plan, and the last thing I want is to be distracted looking for some prankster."

Sally searches every inch of the meeting room, but it appears there's no‑one hiding anywhere. Finally, she checks outside in the corridor, again finding no‑one.

"You say you need a stealth specialist?" Carol asks.

With a yelp of surprise, Sally spins to find Carol sat in the chair she was using just moments earlier. "Where the heck did you come from‽" she demands.

"I've been here all along," Carol grins.

"What… but… how?" Sally asks in disbelief.

"What kind of Tea would I be if I wasn't any good at hiding?"

"One who doesn't scare me half to death!" Sally snaps. "Sorry, I'm just surprised," she adds calmly, quickly regaining her composure. "I didn't know you had those skills."

"And more besides," Carol smirks, holding up Sally's ring‑blades.

Sally looks at her wrists to find them unexpectedly bare. "What… How did you _do_ that‽"

"When you've picked as many pockets as I have, you can take almost anything that isn't bolted to the person," Carol boasts.

"I'm not sure that's something to be proud of," Sally admonishes gently.

Carol shrugs. "You never know when it'll come in handy."

"Is Lilac as good as you?"

"Close enough."

"Want to go on the mission?"

"Sure."

"On one condition," Sally states, holding out a hand ready to accept the return of her ring‑blades. "Make that two," she adds, noticing the beaker's covering Nicole again.

"Accepted," Carol agrees, tossing Sally's ring‑blades back to her and removing the beaker from over Nicole.

"There's something you should know," Nicole informs Carol.

"What?" Carol asks.

"I run this ship," Nicole answers. "I'm in control of _all_ the systems. So, if I want, I can do this."

Nicole snaps her fingers: the sprinkler above Carol activates, soaking the wildcat in seconds.

"OK, I deserved that," Carol reluctantly admits.

* * *

A short while later, Lilac wakes naturally, feeling both sated and well rested. _That was a nice nap. Where am I anyway? Oh, right, Sonic's room._ Lilac sits up and stretches.

"I'd like my hand back now," Sonic requests.

"What? Oh, sorry," Lilac apologises, releasing Sonic's hand.

"Don't worry about it," Sonic assures as he sits up.

Someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," Sonic calls.

The door opens to reveal Carol drying her ears, the towel hanging in front of her eyes. "Have you seen Lilac?" she asks.

"Yes, he has," Lilac answers.

Carol stops drying her ears, drapes the towel around over her shoulders, and fixes Lilac with a disapproving stare. "Really?" she sighs.

"We napped, that's all," Lilac informs. "I swear that's the truth," she adds.

"Am I missing something?" Sonic asks.

"Nothing!" Lilac answers quickly before Carol can. "You're missing nothing. Carol, you were looking for me?"

"We've got a stealth mission to steal a Chaos Emerald from an Egg Army base," Carol informs. "Unless, of course, you're otherwise occupied…"

"Nothing. Happened. We just napped." Lilac hops off the bed and walks up to Carol. "So just drop it. Please?"

"I will when you stop dropping your‑" Carol begins.

"OK, let's go see what Sally wants, right now!" Lilac insists, hurrying Carol out of the room. "We don't want to keep her waiting, do we? No, we don't! So, let's hurry to the meeting room as quickly as possible!"

"I've fought gods, monsters, and daemons, travelled through time, and reassembled a planet," Sonic thinks aloud once alone. "Yet _that_ was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced."

* * *

As Lilac and Carol head to the meeting room, they continue their argument in hushed tones.

"This isn't TV, you know!" Carol hisses. "People who are like that in real‑life are just tacky!"

"I told you, nothing happened!" Lilac insists. "And don't judge me: in a year or so, you'll be just as bad, if not worse!"

"I'll at least be able to keep control!"

"I can keep control too!"

"Only because you're too busy being Miss Heropants all the darn time!"

"Hey! The last free day I had, I spent at home! Alone!"

"What about the one before?"

"That… He approached me."

"You could have said no!"

"He bought me dinner!"

"So? You still could have‑"

"Enough! We'll talk about this later."

"But‑"

" _Later!_ "

"Fine," Carol sulks.

Lilac takes a moment to compose herself, then strides into the meeting room. "Hey Sally! I hear you have a stealth mission for us?" she greets a little too enthusiastically.

"Yes," Sally confirms, sensing the tension between the overly cheery dragoness and the sulking wildcat. "Everything OK?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Lilac replies.

Sally makes to answer, but chooses not to. "OK," she accepts. "To be honest, I'm glad you're both up for this mission. The Freedom Fighters aren't exactly known for stealth, the Shijin Warriors are too inexperienced, and Espio's currently unreachable. So, we're left with a choice: a full assault with the whole team, with all the risk of collateral damage that presents, or you two getting in and out before Conquering Storm even knows you're there."

"Conquering Storm?" Lilac asks.

"The Yurashia Egg Army boss," Sally explains. "She's a highly skilled ninja like yourselves, so don't expect this to be easy."

"Trust me, however good she is, we're better," Lilac assures. "What's the insertion method?"

"We can get you to within two miles without detection, but any further is out of the question," Sally informs. "You'll have to cover the rest of the ground on foot."

"Not a problem. Weapons and equipment OSP?"

"OSP?"

"On‑site procurement."

"Of course, and yes."

"How long before we depart?"

"Thirty minutes."

"Plenty of time." Lilac turns to Carol. "Come on, let's see what we're up against."

Sally leaves Lilac and Carol to study all the information they have on Conquering Storm and the Yurashia Egg Army. _Something happened to cause tension between them. I just hope it doesn't affect their mission…_

* * *

Forty minutes later, under cover of darkness, Big brings the _Speed Star_ to a halt just outside of the reach of the searchlights, parking in a dense cluster of trees.

"Thanks, big guy," Carol whispers as she and Lilac hop out of the car.

"We'll signal when we're ready for pick‑up," Lilac adds.

With a nod of acknowledgement, Big departs and sets course for _Sky Patrol_.

"Looks like the guards are expecting trouble," Carol observes from the treeline, her keen feline eyes making easy work of the gloom. "This is more than the usual patrol."

"Agreed. Looks like we'll have to use the… less tasteful route," Lilac decides.

"I was hoping we'd be able to avoid that…"

Silently, the two friends follow the perimeter, keeping themselves concealed in the treeline. After a few minutes, they arrive at their target: a sewage outflow. With reluctance, they sneak in during a brief break in the patrol.

Carol pulls her scarf over her nose. "This part I _don't_ miss," she comments. "How can you stand the smell?"

"I'll be honest, all I can smell is chili dogs on my breath," Lilac admits.

"The evidence is stacking up…"

"Focus on the mission. There'll be plenty of time to annoy me back on _Sky Patrol_."


	14. Eye of the Storm

Deep in the heart of the Yurashia Egg Army stronghold, Egg Boss Conquering Storm is receiving last‑minute updates from Eggman himself.

"I trust you've already reviewed the intelligence from Clove?" Eggman asks.

"Of course," Storm replies. "And I agree with her conclusions: the damage that Upsilon sustained could only have been inflicted by claws. However, claws that sharp and strong are virtually unheard of outside of ancient legends no sensible person believes."

"You suspect an alternative explanation?"

"I'm open to the possibility."

"Very well. I'm sending you the latest news from Mordred Hood. I think you'll find it even more fascinating than the information from Clove."

Storm waits a few moments for the information to arrive, then quickly and efficiently reviews all of it. "You're right, it _is_ fascinating," she agrees. "To cause that much damage to Silver Sonic… Not even the _real_ Sonic can inflict that level of brutality."

"And we know _Sky Patrol_ couldn't have done it, as it remained far enough away from Little Planet that they didn't even see the badnik horde approaching," Eggman adds.

"Which raises the question of who did?"

"Exactly. Be prepared for anything."

"I'm always prepared for anything."

"We both know that's not true."

Eggman terminates the call before Storm can respond.

* * *

Infiltrating the stronghold proves to be a more challenging task than expected for Lilac and Carol. While they avoid detection, the lack of information about the layout of the stronghold means they're navigating blind, a fact that leads them to frequent dead ends. After the eleventh, they find a quiet and secluded spot to rest and assess the situation.

 _Getting nowhere,_ Lilac signs.

 _Wasting time,_ Carol agrees.

 _Can't turn back,_ Lilac reminds.

Carol pauses to think for a few moments. _Have idea. Follow me._

Carol leads Lilac to an area with light patrols, where she observes the soldiers for a few minutes before selecting her target. _Wait here._

 _Why?_ Lilac asks.

Carol simply grins.

Lilac watches as Carol sneaks off and disappears into the shadows. _I'm not sure I like where this is going…_

* * *

Carol returns a few minutes later, wearing an Egg Soldier's outfit. _Step one complete,_ she signs.

 _Step two is?_ Lilac signs back.

With a mischievous smile, Carol leaps at Lilac, pinning the dragon's arms behind her back.

"What are you doing?" Lilac hisses, struggling to break free.

"Speeding things up," Carol whispers back. "Now act like you've surrendered."

"W‑"

"Just do it. And let me do the talking."

"OK," Lilac relents, agreeing to play along. "Just one question: is the person you stole that from OK?"

"Oh, I didn't hurt anyone," Carol reveals. "This is from the laundry room."

"Even better," Lilac smiles.

"Prisoners don't smile," Carol reminds. "Let's go."

Carol marches Lilac out into the open. "You should have known better than to try and sneak in here!" she declares loudly.

"But‑" Lilac begins to protest, playing along.

" _Silence!_ " Carol commands. "Save your breath for pleading with Conquering Storm: you're gonna need it!"

"Nice work, kid," a nearby Egg Soldier complements as he approaches the wildcat and 'captive' dragoness. "Need any help?"

"Nah, I got this," Carol answers. "Actually, there is one thing: can you guide me to Conquering Storm?" she smiles sweetly. "I'm new, and still learning my way around."

"Of course," the soldier agrees, leading the way. "We're all fighting for the same cause. What's she doing here, anyway?"

"You'll love this," Carol answers. "She only thinks she can steal the Chaos Emerald!"

"A foolish venture indeed," the soldier chuckles.

For the next five minutes, the trio walk together, Lilac occasionally trying to break free, but always allowing Carol to regain control.

"Here we are," the soldier informs, halting in front of an ornate door. "I'll knock."

"Thanks," Carol accepts. "I kinda have my hands full with Little Miss Thieving‑Pants here."

The soldier knocks on the door.

"State your business," Conquering Storm calls from inside.

"We found a girl trying to break in," the soldier answers. "One of our youngest recruits apprehended her, and we've brought her to you for her punishment."

"Very well. Enter."

The soldier opens the door and leads Lilac and Carol into Conquering Storm's inner sanctum, the Egg Boss herself seated in a simple decorated throne at the opposite end to the only entrance.

"An unusual creature," Storm comments. "Who are you, and why do you think you have the right to break into my stronghold? Answer now, and I might be lenient."

"A‑Are y‑you C‑Conquering S‑Storm?" Lilac stammers, feigning fear.

"Yes, and only I ask the questions here!" Storm commands. "Now, answer me!"

"My name is Cyclone, and I'm here to take the Chaos Emerald," Lilac answers confidently, dropping the prisoner act.

With the cue given, Carol lets go of Lilac's arms, ducking as the dragoness unleashes a Cyclone that lays out the guard. The wildcat then scurries to secure the door before Storm can raise the alarm.

"The Emerald belongs to Eggman!" Storm states defiantly. "You'll regret ever thinking about stealing it! Now surrender!"

"I'd rather not," Lilac smirks, getting ready to fight.

"Do you really think you can take me, the finest ninja in the world?" Storm asks, readying for combat, trying to intimidate Lilac.

"I was trained by none less than the Red Scarves themselves!" Lilac informs, completely unfazed.

"Is that meant to sound impressive?"

Lilac hesitates. "Well, yes, it's meant to‑ Oh, wait, I forgot we're not on Avalice."

"Enough talk!" Storm declares. "Surrender now, or I will make you regret ever coming here!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Lilac grins mischievously.

Enraged, Storm charges directly at Lilac.

Lilac sidesteps the initial charge with ease. Spinning as she does so, her hair whips knock Storm's hat off. Storm slides to a halt and turns to charge again, but Lilac pushes her advantage and charges first. Storm blocks Lilac's initial punches, but she doesn't anticipate Lilac's sudden switch to a leg sweep. Twisting as she falls, Storm kicks out hard, hitting Lilac directly in the chest. Turning the fall into a roll, Storm recovers and pounces the now prone Lilac. However, Lilac anticipates the pounce. Firmly planting her boots in Storm's abdomen, she uses the lynx's momentum against her, throwing her across the room.

Twisting in the air, Storm lands on her feet, sliding to a halt as Lilac returns to hers. Charging as the dragoness turns, Storm slides under Lilac's hasty Cyclone, attempting a leg sweep of her own. Lilac tries to leap the kick, but it's too late: Storm connects, knocking Lilac off‑balance. As Lilac falls, her hair whips tear through the wooden floorboards, sending splinters flying across the room. Landing heavily, Lilac lets angular momentum roll her a few feet and onto all fours. Sensing another pounce, Lilac leaps in a high backflip over Storm. As the lynx slides and turns on all fours, Lilac curls into a ball and starts to spin, inches from the ground. Confused, Storm hesitates.

It proves to be her undoing.

Lilac unleashes a fully‑charged Dragon Boost straight into Storm's torso, sending the lynx flying across the room. Slamming through her throne, Storm lands heavily, tumbles, then slides to a halt, unconscious among the wreckage.

"That was fun," Lilac remarks, sliding to a halt in the middle of the room. "We should do it again some time."

"Ready to go?" Carol asks.

"But we don't have the‑" Lilac starts, stopping when she sees the green Chaos Emerald in Carol's hand. "When did you find that?"

"While you were toying with Storm," Carol answers.

"Toying?" Lilac asks, playfully incredulous. "I was battling hard!"

"You could have ended that fight so much quicker, and you know it," Carol reminds.

"True," Lilac admits. "But Storm is more skilled than I initially gave credit for. Plus, it gave you more time to find the Emerald."

"Excuses," Carol teases.

Suddenly, the door flies open. Egg Soldiers pour into the room and surround the dragoness and wildcat.

"Problem," Lilac observes.

"Solution," Carol smirks, offering Lilac the Emerald.

"Like on Little Planet?" Lilac asks nervously.

"Got any better ideas?"

"Not one."

"Well?"

With a sigh, Lilac takes the Emerald as Carol climbs on her back. "Hold on tight," Lilac requests. "And please, don't vomit."

"I never vomit," Carol boasts.

"You're surrounded!" an Egg Soldier sergeant informs. "There's no escape!"

"Yes there is," Lilac retorts.

Before the sergeant can answer, Lilac curls into a ball, Carol curling with her. Spinning up to speed rapidly, Lilac unleashes a Chaos Boost directly upwards, through the roof and into the night sky, her wake knocking every Egg Soldier flat on their backs.

* * *

On _Sky Patrol_ , Sally paces the bridge, unable to shake the feeling something's gone wrong.

"Both Lilac and Carol have proven themselves able to handle sticky situations," Nicole assures, projecting small enough to ride on Sally's head, nestled in the chipmunk's hair.

"I know," Sally agrees. "It's just that I sensed some tension between them earlier, and I'm worried it'll distract them and get them in trouble."

"They've not been with us two days yet, and you're acting like they're veteran Freedom Fighters," Nicole chuckles.

Sally stops pacing. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," Nicole assures with a smile. "In fact, it's a testament to the quality of your leadership."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Sally smiles, blushing slightly.

"You'll always have my vote." Nicole is suddenly distracted. "Sensors picking up an incoming… missile? No, it's not that…"

"Put it on the viewscreen," Sally instructs.

Nicole activates the viewscreen and switches it to the correct external camera feed. "What is that?" she asks, referring to the brilliant lavender streak tearing through the night sky.

"Zoom in," Sally instructs.

Nicole magnifies the image as much as she can without losing quality. "Is that better?"

"Is that‑ it is!" Sally answers in surprise. "It's Lilac! She has the Emerald! And that's Carol riding on her back! Guess we don't need to go pick them up."

"They're about thirty seconds away from crashing into the hangar." Nicole informs.

"I'm sure they‑" Sally starts, stopping when she remembers how out of control Lilac's Chaos Boost was on Little Planet. "Amy!" she barks into her communicator. "Get down to the hangar ASAP!"

* * *

" _Slow down!_ " Carol cries as Lilac approaches _Sky Patrol_ 's hangar at great speed.

" _I don't know how!_ " Lilac replies, on the verge of panic.

" _Think of something!_ "

" _I'm trying!_ "

As they enter the hangar, Lilac realises there's only one solution: drop the Emerald. The gemstone clatters to the deck, ending the Chaos Boost. However, momentum remains in effect, carrying both Lilac and Carol at speed across the hangar. They hit the ground hard, tumbling violently until they hit the far wall.

"Thank you for flying _Lilac Airways_ ," Lilac mumbles, heavily dazed. "We hope you enjoyed your flight, and will fly with us again soon."

"Don't count on it," Carol replies, equally dazed.

Seconds later, Amy dashes into the hangar and over to the two friends. "What happened?" she asks, worry dripping from every word. "Are you OK?"

"I need to stop being a plane," Lilac murmurs, sense slowly returning to her.

"We'll be fine," Carol assures, extracting herself from the dragon‑wildcat tangle and standing unsteadily. "Erm… do you have a bucket?"

"No," Amy answers. "Why?"

Unable to control her nausea any longer, Carol drops to all fours and vomits. "That's why," she croaks as Amy looks away in disgust.

"I thought you didn't do that?" Lilac asks, lucidity having returned.

"You make a very bad plane," Carol quips, standing unsteadily again.

"I'm taking you both to the medical bay," Amy decides, helping Lilac to her feet.

"We're not hurt," Lilac reminds. "We're just dizzy, s'all."

"You're going, and that's final," Amy insists.

"I… OK," Lilac relents. "Just one thing before we go."

"What?"

"Do you have a bucket?"


	15. Little Lynx Lost

An hour later, Lilac and Carol are discharged from the medical bay, both sporting numerous bandages covering the dozens of cuts and contusions suffered during their crash landing. As they head to the meeting room to debrief, they pick up their earlier argument.

"I want you to be totally honest with me," Carol requests.

"Of course," Lilac agrees.

"Did anything happen between you and Sonic?"

"No."

"Pinkie swear?"

Lilac places a hand on her heart. "Carol, I swear by the Ancients and my ancestors, nothing happened. We just napped. That is all."

Carol pauses a moment and looks Lilac directly in the eye. "I believe you," she decides.

"Good," Lilac sighs with relief. "Now, can we please just drop the subject?"

"So long as you don't drop your heropants," Carol teases.

"I‑" Lilac sighs in defeat. "Deal."

A few minutes later, the two friends meet Sally in the meeting room.

"You two look like you've just gone ten rounds with the Egg Destroyer Battlesuit," Sally comments. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Lilac and Carol sigh in unison. "If you don't mind, we'll sit out the next mission," Lilac adds.

"I don't mind," Sally assures. "After all, you're our guests: I shouldn't be sending you on missions."

"We volunteered," Carol reminds.

"She doesn't call me 'Little Miss Heropants' for nothing," Lilac adds.

"I know, but my point stands," Sally acknowledges.

"Where are we heading next?" Lilac asks.

"Tralius," Sally answers. "We found a signal there while you were on the ground, and‑"

"Bad news, Sally," Nicole interrupts, suddenly manifesting in the meeting room. "I lost the signal."

"How?" Sally asks, surprised.

"I don't know," Nicole explains. "It just… disappeared."

Lilac and Carol share a look of concern.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on Avalice, in the Shang Tu labs, the hounds Eric and Ernie make the final repairs to their interdimensional portal generator.

"I sure hope this works," Eric sighs.

"It will," Ernie assures.

"And if it doesn't?"

"We keep trying."

"OK." Eric walks over to the control panel and types in a few commands. "Ready?"

"Hit it."

Eric enters the final command. The portal generator hums into life, building energy until, with a flash of light, a portal is opened.

"Readings are… stable!" Eric announces. "We've done it, Ernie!"

"Thank the Ancients!" Ernie replies, relief pouring from every syllable. "Now, let's find Lilac and Carol, and bring them home!"

"Right!" Eric manipulates the controls of the portal generator, homing in on a large circular flying fortress with broad white wings. "That sure is an unusual airship," he remarks.

"We're trying to find the saviours of Avalice, remember?" Ernie reminds.

"And they're on that ship," Eric informs. "Just a few more minutes, and I'll have them here, safe and sound."

"Don't bring them here," Ernie decides. "Send them to Dragon Valley."

"Wilco." Eric enters a few commands.

The portal generator malfunctions. Seemingly random locations flash briefly in the portal itself.

"Not again!" Ernie exclaims. "Shut it down!"

"I'm trying!" Eric replies fretfully.

Seconds later, the portal generator falls silent as Eric finally succeeds in shutting it down.

"Phew!" Ernie wipes the sweat from his brow. "So, we still have work to do…"

"Still pretending to be engineers?" Sally Flynn mocks from the open door, casually leaning on the frame.

Eric and Ernie turn in surprise. "Sally!" Eric greets. "Didn't expect to see you today! Who's your friend?" he asks, referring to the confused ochre badger standing behind the purple‑spined hedgehog.

"This is my good friend Danny Brock," Sally answers. "He's helping me with some testing."

"Good to meet you," Danny greets the hounds.

"But he's a Red Scarf!" Eric states, referring to Danny's scarlet neckwear.

"What were you saying about trying to find Lilac and Carol?" Sally asks smugly.

Eric and Ernie share a look of worry.

"You heard that?" Eric asks quietly.

"I won't tell if you won't," Sally offers.

"Deal," Eric and Ernie chorus.

"Good," Sally smiles, then turns to Danny. "Come on handsome, we've got work to do."

"Sure thing," Danny agrees. "Wait… did you just call me handsome?" he asks as they disappear down the corridor.

"We don't go home until we get them back," Eric decides. "However long it takes."

"Agreed," Ernie replies.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the den of her Jade Creek lakeside beach house she shares with two of her male friends, an olive lynx is woken abruptly by a loud tearing sound. Falling out of the chair in surprise, she gathers her weapons and heads outside to investigate. As she heads out the door, she hears a pop. A moment later, a brilliant‑cut amethyst the size of her fist lands on the ground in front of her. Curious, she picks it up, dazzled by the brilliance and purity of the precious stone. _Wow, this is one big shiny gem! I wonder how much it's worth?_

As she re‑enters the house, alarms start blazing. Surprised, the lynx looks up from the amethyst to find herself not in her home, but in a corridor aboard some form of aircraft, and the portal she just walked through has disappeared. Fighting down the panic rapidly rising within her, the lynx pockets the amethyst and looks for somewhere to hide.

Seconds later, a red‑headed chipmunk dashes out of a side door ten feet away and slides to a halt, blocking the corridor. "Who are you and how did you get on board?" she demands.

"Where on Avalice am I?" the lynx demands in return, drawing her ninjato. "And why are you kidnapping me? Tell me now, before I beat it out of you!"

The chipmunk activates twin energy blades projecting from her bracelets. "I don't respond kindly to threats," she growls. "Now, tell me who you‑"

The alarms stop suddenly. "My apologies princess, but our new friends claim to know the intruder," a disembodied female voice interrupts.

The chipmunk hesitates a moment. "Patch them through," she decides.

The tannoy clicks as the connection is switched. "Hello Maria," a familiar voice greets.

"Lilac?" Maria Shanmao asks, relaxing slightly.

"Correct," Lilac confirms. "I can't overstate how happy I am to see you alive and well after what happened in Shang Tu. How are you?"

"Confused and scared," Maria answers, quietly relieved the chipmunk has deactivated her ringblades and is now standing at ease.

"My apologies: everyone reacted before I was able to confirm it was you," Lilac explains. "I assume you have a lot of questions. Come to the meeting room, and we'll answer as many of them as we can. And don't worry, you're perfectly safe here."

"I don't feel safe," Maria reveals, though she does sheathe her ninjato.

"You're definitely safe," the chipmunk assures, her tone now warm and reassuring. "Any friend of Lilac's is a friend of ours."

Maria eyes the chipmunk suspiciously, but elects to play along for now. "Take me to her."

"Of course," the chipmunk agrees. "But first, allow me to introduce myself," she continues, holding out a hand. "I am Sally Acorn, princess of the Kingdom of Acorn, and leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Welcome aboard _Sky Patrol_. And my sincerest apologies for scaring you before."

"I'm not on Avalice, am I?" Maria asks as she approaches Sally cautiously and shakes her hand.

"We'll find a way to get you back," Sally promises.

* * *

An hour later, and Lilac and Carol have finally finished bringing Maria up to date. It would have taken less time, but the excitable lynx had so many questions, Lilac and Carol spent more time answering them than recounting the events so far.

"…and that's everything," Lilac sighs, relieved that they've finally finished their story.

"That was a great story!" Maria chirps. "Sorry I asked so many questions," she adds, feeling a little guilty.

"Don't be," Lilac assures. "Asking questions is good. Anyway, that's what we've been up to: what about yourself?"

"Usual Red Scarves stuff," Maria explains. "Which I guess you'd rather not talk about."

"That reminds me," Carol interrupts. "Why did you use your old Scarves codename earlier?" she asks Lilac.

"Not sure," Lilac answers. "I guess, because she's called Conquering Storm, I wanted to use a similar sort of name."

"That's a silly reason!" Maria giggles.

"She's right, y'know," Carol agrees.

"OK, OK," Lilac dismisses with a smile. "Any other news?" she asks Maria.

"Oh! Yes!" Maria chimes. "Hanna and Rob got married yesterday!"

Lilac and Carol stare are Maria in total disbelief.

"The ceremony was so pretty, and their vows so touching, and I was the bridesmaid, and I got to wear this pretty red cheongsam and matching high heels, which was fun, but being green, I did look like a big strawberry, but that's OK, because strawberries are tasty, though not as tasty as bananas, especially when‑"

"Sorry Maria," Lilac interrupts. "Did you just say Hanna got _married?_ "

"Sure did!" Maria beams.

"Hanna Skarlett."

"Yep!"

"The vixen that hates me even though I saved her life twice."

"Yep! Twice?"

"…OK, the first time is when we saved the whole of Avalice," Lilac admits.

"Oh." Maria pauses a moment. "Anyway, they went on their honeymoon this morning‑"

"She beat me!" Lilac suddenly exclaims. "She actually beat me at something!"

"There was a competition?" Maria asks, confused.

"No, there was no competition," Lilac answers. "It's just… I've become so used to bettering her in all sorts of things that I never considered she'd better me in _anything!_ Except murder, but I don't want to be good at that anyway."

"I can't believe Rob actually married her," Carol thinks aloud.

"I can't believe I'm jealous!" Lilac frets. "Hanna is the embodiment of so much that is wrong with the Red Scarves, and yet, she now has a loving husband, and they're going to start a family, and that's stuff I want, and I'm a world‑famous _hero_ , Ancients darn it, and‑"

Carol slaps Lilac's face. "Snap out of it!"

Lilac, stunned briefly by the slap, shakes her head and recovers her composure. "Sorry," she apologises. "I… I wish them the best of luck, and hope their union is a lasting one."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not being sincere?" Carol asks.

"Because I'm not," Lilac reluctantly admits.

"Well!" Maria huffs, her arms crossed. "That's not very hero‑like, is it?"

"You're right," Lilac agrees. "And I feel terrible for thinking like that."

"I don't know if I want to show you the pretty amethyst I found now," Maria continues.

"Maria, I'm sorry, I really am," Lilac apologises. "But I can't help the way I feel, no matter how petty it may seem. I promise I'll keep this all to myself when I'm around them."

Maria eyes Lilac suspiciously for a few moments before deciding to accept the apology. "OK, I'll show you the amethyst," she decides, taking it out of her pocket. "Look at how big and pretty it is!"

"Is that a…" Carol begins to ask.

"I think it is," Lilac answers.

"What are you two big sillies talking about?" Maria asks.

"This is going to sound weird," Lilac explains, "but that isn't an amethyst, it's a Chaos Emerald."

Maria bursts out laughing. "Don't be silly!" she giggles. "Emeralds are green, not purple!"

"We've found that, when it comes to the Chaos Emeralds, they come in all sorts of colours," Lilac informs.

"Wait… If this is a Chaos thingy, does that mean I can't keep it?" Maria asks.

"Afraid not," Lilac answers. "Sally and the others need it to help get us home."

"Aww," Maria pouts. "I never get to keep really big gems…"

"You know how dangerous the Elemental Crystals can be," Lilac reminds. "That's why they're locked away somewhere only three people can access."

"I know," Maria sighs. "And if this is like those, then it's dangerous too."

"Tell me about it," Carol sighs.


	16. Party: Interrupted

Deep in the heart of Soumerca, Eggman has just secured the yellow Chaos Emerald, the gem having been found and recovered by Egg Boss Thunderbolt and the Soumerca Egg Army. Returning to his flyer, he secures the Emerald with the blue and grey Emeralds previously obtained, and reviews the latest news from all his Egg Bosses. Most have nothing new to report, but there are two that trouble the doctor: Tralius and Yurashia.

Egg Boss Maw's report describes how they found an Emerald, but before they could recover it, the signal vanished completely, as if the Emerald itself had disappeared. Not wanting to let Eggman down, Maw had doubled and redoubled the search effort, but to no avail. In response, Eggman sends a brief reply acknowledging the report and instructing Maw to continue the search.

The Yurashia report is far more troubling however, because it doesn't exist. _Something's gone wrong._ Eggman opens a channel to the Yurashia Egg Army stronghold, expecting to be answered by Conquering Storm. But when the call is answered by one of the rank‑and‑file Egg Soldiers, Eggman knows for certain the news isn't good.

"Where's Conquering Storm?" Eggman demands before the soldier gets a chance to greet the doctor.

"My apologies, doctor," the soldier replies, "but Madam Conquering Storm isn't available right now."

" _What?_ " Eggman bellows.

"Sh‑She's in th‑the infirmary!" the soldier stammers, fear threatening to overwhelm him.

"Patch me through."

"B‑But‑"

" _Patch me through right now before I paralyse you!_ "

"Y‑Yes sir! R‑Right away, s‑sir!"

The viewscreen flickers as the call is redirected, quickly resolving to show the heavily‑bandaged Conquering Storm resting in a hospital bed.

"Greetings, Doctor," Storm croaks. "Apologies for the delay to my report."

"From your current state, such a delay is understandable," Eggman assures. "I take if the Freedom Fighters now have the Emerald?"

"That I cannot be sure of," Storm answers. "The two that took it, I had never seen before. They are not part of any Freedom Fighter group that I know of, certainly. In fact, I'm not even sure they're natives to this planet."

"Describe them."

"One, a two‑tone viridian feline, was disguised as one of my own. She was pretending to have apprehended an intruder to get to me and the Emerald."

"And the other?"

"A very unusual creature. It's hard to tell whether her lilac coat is fur or scales, and her purple hair is tied into two floor‑length ponytails that she uses as flail weapons."

 _The interdimensional interlopers!_ "Did either of them have a name?"

"The purple one identified herself as 'Cyclone'."

"Does she have any special abilities?"

"She appears to have two signature moves. The first seems to be the reason for her name: a rapid cyclonic spin that causes her ponytails to whip around with considerable force, enough to tear through wood and knock out unsuspecting victims. The other is comparable to Sonic's Spin Dash, but both slower and more powerful. She spins into a ball to charge the move, then unleashes a powerful short‑range boost that is easily able to throw me across the room, through my throne, and render me unconscious."

"That… is an unexpectedly powerful special move," Eggman comments.

"I apologise for failing you again, Doctor." Storm hangs her head in shame.

"Apology accepted, although it's not necessary," Eggman assures. "I'll overlook your failure as there is no way you could have anticipated facing such a formidable foe. I should have done my research and given you enough information to adequately prepare."

"I‑ Thank you, Doctor," Storm replies, pleasantly surprised at Eggman's reaction.

"I'll leave you to rest and recuperate," Eggman informs, closing the connection. _This 'Cyclone' is a formidable fighter, and not someone to be underestimated. To be able to defeat Stormy so thoroughly, she is powerful indeed. She may even be more powerful than Sonic…_

 _There's only one option._

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the _Death Egg_ , a deep blue robot stirs from its rest, its red eyes glowing with villainous intent. It tilts its head slightly as its orders come in. I will comply.

Metal Sonic launches at maximum speed, setting course for _Sky Patrol_.

* * *

With Lilac and Carol in their quarters sleeping, Maria explores the corridors of _Sky Patrol_. At first, she's enjoying herself, allowing her baser feline instincts to surface as she chases scraps of paper and other small detritus as it blows in the currents created by the ventilation system. However, after half an hour, she begins to tire of the childish endeavour. Suppressing the instincts, she continues to wander the corridors, hoping to meet one of the crew who, despite there being ten of them, are proving surprisingly elusive.

It's not long however before one of them makes herself known. As Maria approaches the door to the kitchen, a pink hedgehog in a red dress exits into the corridor. With neither expecting the other, they inevitably collide, falling and landing on their tails.

"Ow!" the hedgehog exclaims as she lands. "Watch where you're going!"

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" Maria snaps back.

The hedgehog then realises who just bumped into her. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realise it was you," she apologises. "I'm Amy Rose, and you must be Lilac's friend Maria."

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm Maria," the lynx replies. "Maria Shanmao."

"That's a very pretty name," Amy compliments. "Are you settling in OK?"

Maria frowns. "I think so. It's just, this ship is so big, and, well, I'm a bit lost."

"Are you looking for anywhere in particular? Or anyone?"

Maria shrugs. "I'm just a bored kitty looking for something to do."

"In that case, I'll give you a tour of the ship, and then you can join me, Cream, and Cheese for a tea party!" Amy decides, standing and offering a hand to assist Maria.

"A… tea party?" Maria asks, confused. "What's that?"

"You've never had a tea party?" Amy asks, surprised. "How come?"

"My childhood was… I don't want to talk about it," Maria answers quietly.

"In that case, I won't pry," Amy assures. "And you absolutely must join us," she adds with a wink.

Maria thinks a moment. "OK," she agrees, accepting Amy's assistance.

* * *

After the tour, Amy, Maria, Cream, and Cheese all meet up in Amy's room. Together, they set up a compact round table in the centre of the room and set three places.

"Take a seat," Amy addresses to Maria.

"Which one?" Maria asks.

"Whichever one you like," Amy answers.

Maria considers her options, then selects the seat with the best view of the room's only entrance and exit. "So… what do you do at one of these?" Maria asks nervously.

"Drink tea, eat cake, and chat," Amy explains.

"About what?" Maria asks.

"Anything we want to," Amy answers, pouring a cup of tea for everyone while Cream distributes some cupcakes. "And since you're our guest, I think you should have first choice of topic."

"M‑Me?" Maria stammers.

"Sure!" Amy smiles. "This is your first day on a whole new world: you must have a lot of questions."

"Well…" Maria pauses a moment. "Lilac and Carol have answered so many already, but they never really explained what the Chaos Emeralds actually _are_."

"The Chaos Emeralds are the most powerful sources of energy on the planet," Amy begins. "In the right hands, they are force of pure good, but in the wrong hands, they can cause large‑scale devastation. That's why we fight so hard to keep them out of Eggman's hands: he'd only use them to conquer the world."

"But if they're so dangerous, why aren't they safely locked away?" Maria asks.

"The Emeralds themselves aren't dangerous," Amy explains. "It's up to the heart of the user. If their heart is full of hate, then only bad things happen. However, if their heart is full of love, then only good things happen."

"So why not just keep them?" Maria asks.

"We would, but they have a habit of disappearing when they're no longer needed," Amy explains.

"And I guess that's why they can't just be locked away," Maria guesses.

"Correct," Amy confirms.

"It's such a shame," Cream interjects. "They're so pretty and shiny, I'd love to make one into a flowery tiara for my mother."

"…and now I want a flowery tiara with a big gemstone in it," Maria remarks. "I used to dream about having a tiara, and a long, pretty dress, and singing to an audience…" Maria sighs. "My life turned out very different from what I used to dream it would be."

"Don't be sad," Cream replies.

"Why would I be sad?" Maria smiles. "I _love_ my life! It's not what I dreamed of, but it's so _exciting!_ I even saved the world once! And I used a shiny gem to do it!"

"Wow, that sounds like an amazing story!" Cream chirps. "I'd love to hear it!"

"Me too!" Amy adds.

"OK!" Maria takes a deep breath, then pauses. "Before I start, how old are you both?"

"Twelve," Amy answers.

"Six," Cream answers.

"Oh…" Maria looks crestfallen. "My story isn't suitable for children."

"How come?" Amy asks. "Bear in mind we've seen cities levelled by godlike monsters, lizards trying to crash space stations into the planet, and the planet itself splitting into several pieces. We may be young, but we've seen so much, I doubt there's much left that could shock us."

"Have you seen your friends frozen, crushed, and mutilated? Or have you ever been tied to a chair, run through with your own ninjato, and left to die alone in a cellar?" Maria asks. "I have. It's… not nice."

Amy and Cream stare at Maria in disbelief.

"Sorry, I uh… I think I killed the mood," Maria apologises quietly.

"Just a bit," Amy agrees.

"Did… Did everyone survive?" Cream asks, her voice shaking.

"Thanks to the Elemental Crystals, yes," Maria assures. "And we all made full recoveries."

"The Elemental Crystals have regenerative powers?" Amy asks.

"Oh, they do more than that!" Maria answers. "They also give us cool superpowers! But you have to have the right elemental affinity to use them."

"Elemental affinity?" Cream asks.

"On Avalice, we have this system of five elements: Fire, Metal, Wood, Earth, and Water," Maria explains. "Not everyone is born with an affinity for an element, but me and my friends were. I have Wood affinity, so I can use the Wood Crystal, which gives me all sorts of Wood‑based powers. And when it's active, it makes me look like a tree! But I don't have any leaves, which is a shame, as leaves are pretty."

"What sort of powers?" Amy asks.

"I never got the chance to experiment before the Crystals were locked away, but I could shoot vines, raise solid wood shields, and grow flowers from my palms," Maria answers.

"You could grow _flowers?_ " Cream asks excitedly.

"Well, I only grew one," Maria admits. "But I could probably grow more if I had the chance."

"That sounds wonderful!" Cream chimes.

"I'll admit, those powers do sound pretty cool, but‑" Amy begins, pausing as she senses something terrible is about to happen. "I think we'll have to cut the party‑"

 _Sky Patrol_ lurches as if struck by a missile. Alarms blaze throughout the ship.

Maria reacts immediately, leaping over the table, drawing her ninjato, and sprinting out the room.

"‑short," Amy finishes, summoning a Piko Hammer and following the lynx.


	17. Metal Assault

On the bridge, Sally picks herself up after being thrown from the captain's chair. "Nicole! Report!" she barks.

Nicole materialises, her hologram form flickering from the efforts of maintaining level flight and dealing with the impact damage. "Hull breach in the lower decks!"

"How did we not detect the missile?" Sally demands.

Nicole closes her eyes briefly and accesses the ship's internal cameras. "It's not a missile!" she realises. "It's Metal Sonic!"

Sally activates her communicator. "All hands to battle stations! Metal Sonic on board! Repeat, Metal Sonic on board!"

* * *

"Leave him to me, Sal!" Sonic replies, already speeding towards the lower decks. Rounding a corner, he sees Metal flying directly towards him. With zero hesitation, Sonic leaps at Metal, unleashing his trademark Spin Attack.

Metal dodges the attack and continues without acknowledging Sonic.

"What the what?" Sonic activates his communicator. "I found Metal, and he totally ignored me!" he reports, setting off in pursuit.

* * *

"What? Why? Who is he after?" Sally asks, sprinting from the bridge, ring‑blades active.

"Not a clue," Sonic answers. "Whoever he's after, I'll stop him before he finds them."

 _I think I can guess._ "Nicole! Where are Lilac and Carol?"

"In their room," Nicole informs over the radio.

"Seal them in!" Sally commands.

"Room sealed," Nicole acknowledges.

"Rotor! How did Metal get past our defences?" Sally demands.

"He approached so fast the defences had no time to respond!" Rotor explains.

"Get the damage repaired," Sally commands. "Everyone else, get Metal off this ship!"

* * *

In the guest quarters, Lilac and Carol, having been startled awake by the alarm, are desperately trying to find out what's going on.

"Sally? Nicole? Sonic? Anyone?" Lilac barks into the room's computer terminal, to no avail. "Ancients darn it, no‑one's responding! Carol, any luck with the door?"

"It won't open!" Carol replies. "I've tried everything!"

"What on Avalice is going on?" Lilac shouts in frustration.

* * *

"Maria! Wait up!" Amy calls, struggling to keep up with the surprisingly swift lynx as she bounds around the corners seemingly without slowing down. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"I know exactly where I'm going!" Maria replies. "I heard where the robot hit!"

"How do you know it's a robot?"

Suddenly, Maria slides to a halt, Amy almost running straight into the back of the lynx. "This way!" Maria declares, sprinting down a different corridor. "It's coming this way!"

Amy follows Maria, and moments later, they meet Metal Sonic coming the other way. Maria leaps without slowing, her ninjato raised to slice Metal in two. Metal however dodges the blade, jinking back to avoid Amy's Piko Hammer, and continues without slowing.

"Who is he after?" Amy asks.

"Let's catch him and find out!" Sonic answers, sprinting past Amy and Maria in his pursuit of Metal.

* * *

Lilac's Dragon Boost makes short work of the interior door, taking her out into the corridor.

"Something's coming!" Carol warns, her oversized ears picking up the sound of an approaching threat as she climbs through the hole Lilac made.

"Whatever it is, I'm ready for it!" Lilac declares.

A moment later, Metal rounds the corner. Target acquired. Accelerating, Metal flies directly at Lilac.

"F‑" Lilac starts.

Metal slams into Lilac at full speed, carrying the dragoness down the corridor directly at the wall at the far end. Carol sets off in pursuit, joining Sonic, Amy, and Maria as they continue their chase.

Punching through wall after wall, Metal carries Lilac all the way to the hangar. He banks towards the _Tornado_ , halting suddenly and letting Lilac go. Momentum carries the dragon straight into the _Tornado_ 's tail section, tearing it from the rest of the biplane. Encased in the warped metal of the _Tornado_ 's tail, Lilac slams into the deck, sliding across the hangar and into the far wall.

Metal returns to the hole in the hangar wall. Sonic accelerates, but it's too late: Metal closes and seals the hole before the hedgehog can make it through. Metal then flies over to the hangar's interior door and welds it shut.

* * *

Outside the hangar door, Sally arrives a moment too late to find the door sealed shut. "Nicole! Get this door open now!"

"I can't! Nicole responds. "The door's been welded shut!"

"Then I'll cut my way through!" Sally sinks both ring‑blades into the door and begins slowly cutting a new opening.

* * *

" _Lilac!_ " Carol cries in anguish, sliding to a halt at the now‑sealed breach in the wall.

"I'll get us in there!" Sonic assures, starting to gradually cut a new opening with his Spin Attack.

* * *

In the hangar, satisfied no‑one can stop him, Metal turns and heads towards the exterior door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sash challenges, pulling herself free of the wreckage of the _Tornado_ 's tail.

Metal stops and turns to find Sash standing defiantly, seemingly unfazed by the bleeding from several deep lacerations. How did you survive?

"You've got a lot to learn about dragons!" Sash shouts back. "Now get back here so I can destroy you!"

You are foolish to challenge me.

"You are _nothing!_ " Sash yells defiantly. "I have faced _far_ worse and won!"

Metal responds by charging directly at Sash, but Sash is ready. Charging a Dragon Boost, she unleashes it at point‑blank range, overpowering Metal's charge and throwing him back several feet. Fuelled by rage, Sash immediately follows up with a second Dragon Boost, drilling Metal into the deck.

As Sash charges a third consecutive Boost, Metal manages to break free. Quickly putting some distance between him and Sash, he falters from the heavy damage sustained before counter‑charging once more. But again, Sash is ready. Spinning in a Cyclone, her hair whips tear through Metal's chassis, inflicting damage that would cripple a lesser robot.

Sonic and Sally break into the hangar simultaneously. "Lilac!" they call, rushing to assist the dragoness.

But Sash isn't listening. With Metal suffering from heavy damage, Sash presses her advantage, slamming another Dragon Boost into the robot assassin. Metal flies across the hangar and slams into the deck, sliding to a halt just a few yards from the main door. Recovering with difficulty, Metal notices Sash charging at him once more, her eyes filled with anger and violence. With Sonic and Sally arriving to help, Metal decides to escape before he is destroyed.

Sash slides to a halt at the edge of the hangar as Metal flies out of reach. " _Get back here so I can finish the job!_ " she bellows.

"It's too late Lilac," Sonic informs, halting beside the furious dragoness. "He's gone."

" _Then we hunt him down!_ " Sash yells back.

"No!" Sally commands. "I forbid it! Now get to the medical bay!"

" _NO!_ " Sash turns on Sally, rage burning in her eyes. " _I WILL DESTORY HIM!_ "

" _Lilac!_ " Carol calls desperately, arriving on the scene, tears streaming from her eyes. " _Please, calm down!_ "

" _But I…_ I… I…" Severely weakened by the fight, and with her blood loss finally catching up to her, Lilac collapses.

" _NO!_ " Carol wails, sliding to a halt and kneeling beside her friend. "No… Please don't die…"

"We'll save her," Sally assures as Amy and Maria arrive and start tending to the dragon's wounds, Maria using her tanto to cut improvised bandages from her teal dress.

"Come with me," Sonic requests. "Give them room to work."

" _I'm not leaving her!_ " Carol yells in defiance.

"No, you're not leaving her," Sally assures, her voice soft and caring. "But you need to let Amy and Maria work."

"But‑" Carol begins.

"Trust us, we'll save her," Sally promises.

Carol looks at Lilac, crying freely. "She's… She's all I have…" she sobs. "I can't… I can't lose someone else…"

"You won't," Sonic promises.

"We've done what we can here," Amy informs. "We've stemmed the bleeding and got her stable, but we need to get her to the medical bay as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, we're here!" Tails calls from the other side of the hangar, pushing a stretcher in front of him. "Nicole told me you need‑" he begins, stopping when he sees the unconscious dragon. "Am I too late?"

"Carol…" Lilac murmurs.

" _Lilac!_ " Carol exclaims, relief washing over her as she drops to her friend's side. "You're alive!"

"What… What happened?" Lilac asks weakly.

"I'll tell you later," Carol promises. "Right now, you need to rest."

"Is… Is everyone safe?"

"Yes, everyone is safe."

"Good," Lilac sighs in relief. "Carol?"

"Yes, Lilac?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

Lilac doesn't respond.


	18. Dragon's Lament

_Lilac wakes at the bottom of a pit, surrounded by robots. She looks around in confusion, but she doesn't get a chance to figure out where she is before the robots attack. Lilac fights back, dispatching the robots with ease. However, for every robot she smashes, two take their place. As the battle continues, Lilac gets more frantic, and slowly begins to turn the tide. Fury coming to the surface, Sash eventually comes face to face with Metal Sonic._

 _Without a second's thought, Sash utterly smashes Metal, reducing him to a pile of tangled scrap. Sash leaps to smash the head so completely repair will be impossible, but stops when the armour plating falls away to reveal the face of a deceased two‑tone viridian wildcat. In horror, Lilac backs away, tripping over another corpse and landing on her tail. After picking herself up, her heart stops when she realises the corpse she tripped over is Carol Tea. On the verge of panic, Lilac looks around to see not just the two wildcats, but also the corpses of Milla Basset, Maria Shanmao, and all the Freedom Fighters._

 _Overcome, Lilac collapses in despair as a familiar evil laugh fills the pit‑_

* * *

" _NO!_ " Lilac screams as she wakes, sitting bolt upright in the bed, sweat pouring down an expression of fear and panic.

"Lilac, it's OK," Carol assures, taking her friend's hand. "You're safe now."

"But I… I…" Lilac's senses return to her. "…I'm in the medical bay?" Looking down at herself, she's confused to see she's wrapped with numerous improvised blood‑soaked teal bandages. "What's going on?"

"You got hurt pretty bad," Maria explains, taking Lilac's other hand. "But now you're OK."

Lilac turns to the lynx. "Maria? Why are you here? And what happened to your dress?"

Maria looks down at the remnants of her dress, long strips missing and exposing her shorts and sports bra. "It's all we had," she explains.

Lilac looks back at herself, realising why the bandages are teal. "Oh…"

"There's something you should know," Carol informs softly. "Sally's confining you to the medical bay for security reasons, with Antoine, Bunnie, Amy, and Big standing guard."

"Why would‑" Lilac begins, pausing as the memory of what happened in the hangar returns. " _She_ returned, didn't she?" Lilac asks, hanging her head in shame.

"Yes, she did," Carol answers sadly.

"I don't follow," Maria interjects, confused.

"I'll explain later," Carol promises.

The door to the medical bay opens to allow Sonic to enter. "Carol, Maria: Sally wants to speak with you," he informs.

"Go," Lilac instructs. "I'll be OK."

"You sure?" Carol asks.

"I just need to rest," Lilac lies.

"We'll be back soon," Carol promises as she and Maria follow Sonic out of the medical bay.

* * *

On their way to the meeting room, Carol explains to Maria why Lilac asked the question she did.

"Normally, Lilac is the Lilac you know," Carol begins. "Kind, friendly, heroic, all that. But hidden deep within her is a very different personality. Do you remember Lilac's earliest days in the Scarves?"

"I remember losing badly to her the first tournament we fought in," Maria recalls. "And in the next round, Hanna lost ever worse. Lilac was relentless and punishing, not afraid to hurt or even cripple her opponent, even though it was an exhibition."

"And do you remember what name she went by at the time?"

"Sash."

"That's who appeared in the hangar."

Maria frowns. "I still don't follow."

"Sash is a cold‑blooded killer who will do anything to survive, and for whom the mission outranks everything else," Carol explains. "At her worst, Sash makes Hanna Skarlett look like a declawed new‑born kit."

Maria remains silent, unable to think of a response.

"Yeah," Carol sighs. "It's best not to think about it."

"It makes sense now why she's always so eager to help people," Maria realises. "Anything to avoid facing the truth."

"The truth is Lilac is a hero," Carol informs sternly. "She is not Sash."

"Every hero has their dark side," Maria replies with wisdom beyond her years.

Carol responds with silence, unwilling to admit the truth of Maria's observant words.

* * *

"Before we begin, I want to assure you both that neither of you will be held accountable for Lilac's actions, nor will anything you say be used as evidence against you," Sally assures as Carol and Maria take their seats. "However, if I feel that either of you are hiding anything, I will not hesitate to confine you to the brig until we can send you back home. Whilst we will do our best to help you get back home to Avalice, the safety of my Freedom Fighters comes first. Do you understand?"

"We understand," Carol and Maria chorus.

"Good." Sally takes a deep breath. "Now, I want you to recount the events as you witnessed them, starting with the initial hull breach. Carol first."

* * *

With both Carol's and Maria's stories complete, Sally takes a few moments to process the information. "Thank you for being honest with me," she eventually replies. "Your stories match everyone else's enough for there to be no doubt about their veracity. Now, can either of you recall any other time Lilac exhibited such dangerous behaviour?"

"Today is the first time I've seen Lilac act like that," Maria admits.

"I've seen it before," Carol reveals. "But only once."

"Please explain," Sally prompts.

Carol takes a deep breath. "It was about a year ago, when Lord Brevon had taken over Shuigang and stolen the Kingdom Stone to power his _Dreadnought_."

"Lilac told me about the torture Brevon subjected her to," Sally informs.

"Then I'll cut straight to the chase," Carol decides. "We had infiltrated the _Dreadnought_ to find the control room, disable the ship, and recover the Kingdom Stone. However, when we got to the control room, Brevon had captured Milla, and infected her with something that transformed her into a hideous monster. Me and Lilac had no choice but to fight her, and we… we nearly killed her in the process. Distraught, Lilac… She just snapped. She became obsessed with finding Brevon and exacting vengeance in a manner like what she showed in the hangar earlier. She took Brevon on directly in hand‑to‑hand combat, and won. It's possible she would have killed him if it wasn't for the fact we had to escape before the _Dreadnought_ exploded. Thankfully, by the time we got back to the ground, Lilac had returned to normal."

Sally takes a moment to process the story. "If I understand correctly, Lilac only acts that way when under severe emotional distress?"

Carol thinks a moment. "I prefer to think of it as when there's no other option."

"Hm." Sally sits in silent thought for a full minute. "OK, here's what we'll do. I will allow Lilac her freedom on one condition. Carol, as the one who knows Lilac best, you will be primarily responsible for making sure this sort of behaviour doesn't surface again. Maria, you are to help Carol achieve that in any way you can. If Lilac loses control and you are unable to handle her, all three of you will be locked in the brig until we send you home. Now, that all may sound unfair, like I'm punishing you, even though I said I wouldn't. However, what I'm hoping is that Lilac's affection for both of you will mean she doesn't want to see you suffer for her mistakes, and she'll keep control of herself to keep you out of trouble. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Carol and Maria chorus.

"Thank you. Dismissed."

Carol and Maria leave in silence.

Once alone, Sally sighs deeply, resting her head on her arms. "Of all my responsibilities, that is by far the worst."

"It's a most unfortunate drawback of leadership," Nicole agrees, manifesting beside her lifelong friend.

"I know," Sally agrees. "I just hope I've made the right decision, making those two responsible for Lilac's future behaviour."

"As the people who know her best, they are the most qualified," Nicole assures.

"I guess." Sally sighs again. "Well, there's no point procrastinating. I'll go tell Lilac my decision."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Sally arrives outside the infirmary. "Any trouble?"

"Ze prisoner has been not at all ze trouble," Antoine reports.

"She's not our prisoner," Sally corrects. "At least, not yet. And I hope she never is."

"But the way she acted in the hangar‑" Amy begins.

"Carol and Maria have assured me that such behaviour is extremely unlikely to happen again," Sally interrupts. "They have also accepted responsibility for Lilac's actions from now on."

"Does that mean you're lettin' her go?" Bunnie asks.

"Yes," Sally confirms. "Which of course means you no longer need to stand guard."

With nods of assent, Antoine, Bunnie, and Big depart.

"Are you sure about this?" Amy asks. "I saw how she was, and‑"

"I wouldn't let her go if I believed she was a risk to my team," Sally assures.

"I know," Amy reveals. "I just wanted to hear it."

"Can I ask a favour?"

"Sure."

"Can you lend Maria a dress?"

"Will do."

Amy departs, leaving Sally alone outside the medical bay. Sally takes a moment to prepare herself, then enters the medical bay. What she sees surprises her.

"I'm so sorry!" Lilac sobs, her eyes sore, her cheeks tear‑stained. "I thought she would never come back… You must think me a monster."

"No, I don't think you're a monster," Sally comforts, hiding her confusion over Lilac's use of the word 'she'. "I think you were pushed past breaking point, and you temporarily lost sight of who you are. Between your friends' testimonials, your previous account of Thermal Base, and your evident remorse, I know I'm speaking to the real you right now."

"Thanks," Lilac sniffs, "but so long as she exists in me, I'm a lethal liability."

"What would you say if I said I've seen it before?" Sally asks, sitting on the edge of Lilac's bed.

"I'd be very surprised if you've seen anything like Sash before," Lilac replies quietly.

"Actually, I sort of have," Sally admits. "What's more, I saw it with Sonic."

Lilac stops crying. "Really?" she asks in disbelief.

"You remember I previously mentioned we reassembled the planet?" Sally begins. "When it split, it let out a spirit called Dark Gaia. Anything Dark Gaia infests, it turns to evil. Somehow, Sonic ingested some of Dark Gaia's energy, and it caused a very dramatic change. During the day, he'd be his normal self, though at first more irritable than usual. But at night, he'd undergo a transformation into a hideous monster that went on uncontrolled rampages. As the Werehog, Sonic lost all sense of right and wrong. He would rampage and destroy like a wild beast, and at one point, it looked like he was going to kill all of us. But we didn't give up on him. In time, we helped Sonic control his Werehog form, and together, we turned it from a force of destruction into a force for good. It paid off: we defeated Dark Gaia, and restored the world. If he can learn to control the Werehog, you can learn to control Sash."

Lilac takes a few moments to process Sally's story. "Wow," she eventually murmurs.

"Does that help?" Sally asks.

"Yes, actually. It helps a lot," Lilac confirms.

"Good. When you're ready, I'm sure Carol and Maria would like their friend back."

"You're letting me go?"

"On one condition: Carol and Maria are now responsible for you. If there is any repeat of tonight that they cannot contain, all three of you will be locked in the brig until we send you back home."

"The safety of your team comes first," Lilac agrees.

"I'm glad you understand," Sally smiles. "There is one more thing."

"Hm?"

"If you need new clothes, I'll happily lend you an outfit."

Lilac picks up her jacket from the chair next to the bed, holding it up to see it's badly shredded. "I think I'll take you up on that offer."

"I'll send them to your room."

Lilac drops her ruined jacket and takes Sally's hands. "Thank you for believing in me, and for giving me a second chance. I promise, I won't let you down."

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Sally assures.


	19. Eggman's Plan

While _Sky Patrol_ lands for repairs and the crew and guests do their best to move on past the events of the night, Dr Eggman arrives back at the _Death Egg_. Securing the three Chaos Emeralds safely deep inside the flying fortress, Eggman heads to the bridge to find repairs are complete, and the ship is ready to fly once more. However, when he tries to hail Metal Sonic, the only response is static. Confused, the doctor tries numerous times, each with different settings, yet Metal Sonic proves impossible to hail.

" _Cursed rodents!_ " Eggman yells. "Looks like I'll have to use my Genesis Portal manipulator again," he continues, calmer. "Before that, I need to recover Metal Sonic."

"Excuse me sir," Orbot interrupts, "but that will not be necessary."

"Ah, so Metal returned successful?" Eggman asks.

"Not exactly," Orbot reveals, moving to one side to allow Cubot to drag the mangled semi‑functional Metal Sonic onto the bridge. "It appears he's been subject to substantial damage."

"He also looks like someone smashed him," Cubot adds redundantly.

" _Cursed rodents!_ " Eggman yells again. "Get him to the workshop!" he commands.

* * *

An hour later, with Metal rebuilt, Eggman accesses the robot assassin's memory banks. As he reviews the data, he realises that, once again, he has underestimated Cyclone.

"This… whatever she is, she is clearly a far more formidable fighter than even Stormy estimated," Eggman thinks aloud. "Metal Sonic didn't stand a chance against someone so powerful." An idea manifests in the doctor's mind. "Hmm…"

Eggman saves the data from Metal Sonic, then calls up the schematics for Metal Sonic, Tails Doll, and Metal Knuckles. A moment later, he closes the schematics for Tails Doll, and opens the schematics for Mecha Sonic, Mecha Knuckles, and Silver Sonic. For several minutes, the doctor analyses the schematics, selecting the best components from each and combining them into a new robot design, creating new components where necessary. As the design comes together, Eggman's expression turns from frustrated aggression, through gritty determination, to maniacal glee.

"Ha‑ha!" he exclaims once the design is complete. "I've outdone myself this time!"

After selecting the colour scheme, Eggman enters the command to commence building the new Metal‑series robot.

* * *

Over the next few hours, Eggman works on his Genesis Portal manipulator, modifying it to accept Chaos Emeralds as a power source, and to project the field outwards to encompass the entire _Death Egg_.

"Excuse me sir," Orbot interrupts, "but are you sure three Emeralds is enough?"

"It will be," Eggman explains. "Bring me the rock we excavated from the Midesta desert."

"All of it?" Orbot asks.

"No, just one pebble," Eggman answers sarcastically. " _Of course I want all of it!_ "

"Yes, sir!" Orbot departs to retrieve the rock from Midesta.

"I need better lackeys," Eggman sighs to himself.

* * *

With the Midesta rock integrated into the Genesis Portal manipulator, Eggman returns to the robot workshop in time to find his newest Metal‑series is fully constructed. Fighting to control his anticipation, the doctor loads the data from Metal Sonic's memory banks and uploads it to the new robot, then initiates the analyse‑and‑duplicate protocol. After ensuring the process is running smoothly, he instructs Orbot to monitor the process, then retires to his quarters to sleep.

* * *

Aboard _Sky Patrol_ , Lilac, wearing only a medical gown, nervously enters the hangar. Relieved to find she's the only one there, she walks over to the wreckage of the _Tornado_ 's tail section, and spends several moments just looking at it.

"I know you're tougher than most, being a dragon, but it's still impressive you survived all that," Carol comments.

Lilac jumps in surprise, relaxing when she realises it's just her best friend. "I surprise myself with my own endurance sometimes," she comments.

"I'm not sure it's that simple," Carol theorises. "Personally, I don't think Lilac survived Metal Sonic's attack."

"What do you mean? I'm still here."

"No, you came back to life."

"I don't follow."

"Here's what I think happened," Carol begins. "Metal attacked Lilac, smashing her through several interior walls before catapulting her into that," she continues, pointing to the wreckage. "That final impact killed Lilac, allowing Sash to take over. Sash then extracted herself from the wreckage and challenged Metal, crippling him so badly he was forced to retreat. Then when Sash was denied the chance to pursue him, the need for her expired, and she vanished. This allowed Lilac to come back to life, only to collapse from injuries that didn't even slow Sash down."

"That's quite a theory," Lilac comments.

"It's not the first time Sash has saved your life," Carol adds. "Lilac would never have defeated Brevon‑" Lilac subconsciously takes hold of a hair whip "‑but Sash did, allowing Lilac to escape before the _Dreadnought_ exploded."

"Sash… saved my life?"

"Twice. And you've saved her twice in return."

"Why would I save Sash?" Lilac asks. "She's a monster! A cold‑blooded killer!"

"A survivor," Carol adds.

"She's right," Maria agrees, appearing beside Lilac, wearing one of Amy's dresses. "If it wasn't for Sash, you wouldn't have climbed out of that wreckage, and we would have found your corpse."

"I…" Lilac begins.

"'Every hero has their dark side'," Carol states.

"That's an incredibly astute observation," Lilac agrees. "Who said that?"

Carol points to Maria. "She did."

Lilac turns to Maria. "I may not agree with you being in the Red Scarves, but there's no denying you're one of the good ones. I'm glad I was able to save you in Shang Tu."

"So am I," Maria blushes. "That reminds me," she adds, checking her watch. "Huh."

"What?" Lilac asks.

"I thought it would have happened already," Maria explains.

"I don't‑" Lilac begins, then doubles over and groans in pain, clutching her stomach.

"Ah, there it is!" Maria chirps.

"Lilac!" Carol exclaims, worried. "Are you OK?"

"One of the more unusual results of extreme blood loss is increased appetite," Maria explains, barely able to suppress a giggle.

"Wait… You mean she's‑" Carol begins.

" _Where's the sushi‽_ " Lilac cries, sprinting out of the hangar, heading directly to the kitchen.

"She'll be disappointed," Carol sighs.

"Why?" Maria asks.

"There's no sushi on board," Carol reveals.

"What‽" Maria asks in disbelief.

"I know, right?" Carol continues. "How can you have a ship this big with so many people on board, and not have even one norimaki?"

"Next you'll tell me they have no Pad Thai," Maria replies, confident it can't be true.

"I've not seen any," Carol informs.

"You're yanking my tail!" Maria exclaims.

"Swear on the Ancients," Carol reaffirms. "What they do have though is something called a 'chili dog'."

"What's that?"

"No idea."

Maria's stomach growls. "All this talk of food has made me a hungry kitty."

"Me too," Carol replies. "Come on, before Lilac eats everything!"

Laughing, the two felines set off in a leisurely pursuit of the starving dragoness.

* * *

As the morning sun rises over the _Death Egg_ , Dr Eggman returns to the robot workshop.

"The analyse‑and‑duplicate protocol completed successfully, sir!" Orbot reports.

"Excellent," Eggman replies. "Send her to the test chambers and make sure she's fully functional. On second thoughts, I'll do it myself: I want to _personally_ ensure she's working as intended."

* * *

Morning on _Sky Patrol_ , and Sally is in the meeting room once more, reviewing the latest intel from Freedom Fighter groups around the world. "I don't like the looks of this…"

"The news from Soumerca is indeed undesirable," Nicole agrees. "With Eggman now in possession of three Chaos Emeralds, and us having four, we'll have to infiltrate the _Death Egg_ itself."

"Last time I did that, Eggman sent Metal Sonic to kill me," Sally recalls.

"This time, you have _Sky Patrol_ and the Freedom Fighters to back you up," Nicole reminds.

"True," Sally agrees. "Still, we have to be cautious. Also, we need to find where the _Death Egg_ is."

"Based on the order in which he retrieved his Emeralds, I'd estimate it's located somewhere southeast of Midesta," Nicole theorises.

"Then that's where we're heading," Sally decides. "How are the repairs coming along?"

"We'll be flight‑ready in fifteen minutes," Nicole answers.

"Then we launch in fifteen. Anything else?"

"Our food supplies took an unexpected hit last night."

"Told you she'd be hungry," Sally smirks.

"I still have a lot to learn about what it means to be alive," Nicole realises.

"You know a lot more than you realise," Sally assures.

* * *

Later, on board the _Death Egg_ , Dr Eggman puts the finishing touches on his newest creation after a very successful final test. Once this final task is completed, he returns to the bridge to prepare for his interdimensional jump. As he starts to program the Genesis Portal manipulator, he notices an alert on the long‑range scanner.

"It's too late, rodents!" Eggman grins maniacally as he finishes his program.

Deep within the _Death Egg_ , the Chaos Emeralds glow increasingly brightly, their power focussed via the Midesta rock into the Genesis Portal generator.

* * *

"What's the plan, Sal?" Sonic asks as he enters the meeting room, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor following right behind him.

"A two‑pronged assault in the _Death Egg_ , with _Sky Patrol_ providing air support," Sally explains. "Sonic, Amy, you'll be Team Speed. Your task is to get in, get the Emeralds, and get out."

"I'll have those Emeralds quicker than you can say 'Let's do it to it'!" Sonic boasts.

"Uh‑huh. Antoine, Bunnie, you'll be Team Chaos," Sally continues. "Your job will be to cause as much disruption as possible to divert Eggman's defence efforts away from Team Speed."

"We shall not be ze failing you," Antoine salutes.

"Hey Sal, why aren't we sending Lilac and her friends in?" Sonic asks.

"They could be Team Lilac," Bunnie suggests.

"Three reasons I'm not sending them," Sally begins. "First: they don't know Eggman and the _Death Egg_ , we do. Second, they are our guests and I shouldn't be sending them on missions to begin with. And third… I don't want a repeat of last night."

"Maybe they could provide the air support?" Rotor suggests. "That would free you and Nicole up to be Team Acorn. Where is Nicole, by the way?"

"In _Sky Patrol_ 's systems, making some final adjustments and making sure the weapons and defence systems are fully operational," Sally explains. "And I like that idea. If Lilac, Carol, and Maria agree, then that means we can launch a three‑pronged attack, with Sonic and Tails on Team Speed, Antoine and Bunnie on Team Chaos, and me, Amy, and Nicole on Team Disruption." Sally activates her communicator. "Tails, Lilac, Carol, Maria, report to the meeting room please."

* * *

Five minutes later, Tails is first to arrive at the meeting room, and is rapidly brought up to speed with the plan. A couple of minutes after, Lilac arrives with Carol and Maria. But just as they're about to enter the meeting room, Lilac hesitates.

"What's wrong?" Carol asks.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Lilac answers quietly. "After last night‑"

"It'll be fine," Carol assures. "They're good people: they won't hold anything against you."

"And if they do, they'll have to answer to us!" Maria grins playfully.

Lilac can't help but giggle slightly at Maria's comment. "OK, let's do this."

As Lilac enters the meeting room, everyone falls silent. The dragon stops in the doorway, feeling everyone's eyes boring into her‑

"Lookin' sharp, Lilac!" Sonic greets.

"I must admit, my clothes suit you better than I thought they would," Sally adds.

"Huh?" Lilac replies, a little confused. "Oh, yes, thank you," she continues, inwardly relaxing as she realises Sonic and Sally are being sincere. "Though it'll take a while to get used to having an exposed midriff."

"You have the figure for it," Sally smiles in amusement. "Are you going to come in?"

"Yes, sorry," Lilac apologises, fully entering the room and letting Carol and Maria in behind her. "You wanted to see us?"

"We'd like you three to man _Sky Patrol_ and provide air support while we assault the _Death Egg_ and retrieve the Chaos Emeralds," Sally explains.

"Team Lilac, at your service!" Carol beams.

"No," Lilac firmly states. "I don't think I should get involved, not after last night."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was a good idea," Sally assures. "And remember, everyone deserves a second chance."

"Come on, Lilac!" Carol pleads, doing her best to look cute.

"Pretty please?" Maria adds, looking cuter than Carol with no apparent effort.

Lilac looks between her fellow Avalicians. "I… I can't resist," she eventually admits, smiling at last. "I gotta be Little Miss Heropants."

"That's my Lilac!" Carol beams.

"We're not Team Lilac though," Lilac continues.

"Why not?" Maria asks.

"Because Milla isn't here," Lilac explains. "As happy as I am to fight alongside you, I'm afraid you'll never be a substitute for Milla."

"I understand," Maria assures. "I feel the same way about fighting alongside my friends."

"We still need a team name," Carol interjects.

"What about Team Avalice?" Tails suggests.

"That's perfect!" Lilac chimes. "Team Avalice it is."

"Excellent," Sally acknowledges. "Rotor will brief you on _Sky Patrol_ 's weapons and defences, and then we can‑"

"We're too late!" Nicole interrupts, appearing suddenly in the middle of the room. "The _Death Egg_ 's about to pass through a Genesis Portal!"

" _What‽_ " everyone choruses in surprise.

"See for yourself!" Nicole activates the viewscreen, revealing the _Death Egg_ is already halfway through the Genesis Portal.

" _Maximum speed!_ " Sally commands.

 _Sky Patrol_ lurches as Nicole fires the engines at maximum thrust. Everyone watches nervously as they start to close on the _Death Egg_.

"We're not gonna make it in time!" Sally realises as the Portal begins to shrink.

"We have to!" Lilac barks. "Nicole! Divert all power to the engines!"

"What makes you think you can take command?" Sally demands.

" _Because Eggman's heading to Avalice!_ " Lilac shouts back.

"Nicole! Do it!" Sally commands.

 _Sky Patrol_ shudders as Nicole diverts all power reserves to the engines, pushing them beyond their limit. As they accelerate, the shuddering intensifies.

"I… cannot… keep it… together!" Nicole grimaces through gritted teeth, her hologrammatic form beginning to flicker.

"You're doing great!" Rotor assures. " _Sky Patrol_ can take it!"

But it's too late. The _Death Egg_ completes its passage through the Portal, which collapses just seconds before _Sky Patrol_ flies through where it used to be.

"All ahead stop!" Sally barks.

Nicole brings _Sky Patrol_ to a shuddering halt. "We're stopped," she gasps, collapsing and flickering wildly as she recovers from her exertions. "I'm sorry…"

"You did your best," Sally assures.

"I know," Nicole breathes, slowly bringing her flickering under control.

As the room falls silent, Lilac, overwhelmed by shock, walks slowly up to the viewscreen and places a hand on it.

"Lilac?" Carol asks nervously.

"They were the Snowfields…" Lilac murmurs.

"We'll‑"

"I'm trapped here. Avalice is in danger, and I'm not there to save her."


	20. Desperate Times

" _You're_ not there to save her?" Carol snaps back. "What about me? Without me, you would have died in Thermal Base! I saved Avalice every bit as much as you did! Or did you forget that?"

Lilac spins on her heels and fixes Carol with a vicious stare. "It was _your_ fault I went in alone!" she snaps back.

" _You_ were the one who ran off!" Carol retorts.

" _Because you valued yourself over the safety of our entire planet!_ " Lilac yells.

Maria dives behind Rotor, quaking with fear, unable to watch the two best friends fight.

" _You kept trying to get us killed!_ " Carol yells back. " _How can you save anything if you're DEAD‽_ "

" _ENOUGH!_ " Sally bellows, placing herself between Lilac and Carol, a ring‑blade tip at each neck.

Silence descends, the tension palpable. No‑one dares move.

"You call yourselves heroes," Sally begins, her voice quiet, yet loaded with authority. "Yet here you are, yelling at each other, scaring Maria out of her fur!" Sally takes a deep breath. "You leave me no choice. Sonic, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, escort our prisoners to the brig. They are to remain there until I say otherwise. And make sure they're in separate cells: I do _not_ want bloodshed on this ship!"

* * *

After escorting Lilac and Carol to the brig and securing them in separate cells, Amy returns to her room to relax. However, she's surprised to find Maria already there, curled up tight on her bed. "Maria?" Amy asks softly.

Maria squeaks in alarm as she leaps off the bed, ready to fight. But when she realises it's only Amy, she sits back on the bed and starts fiddling with her tail. "Sorry, I'm a… spooked kitty, I guess."

"I don't blame you," Amy comforts, seating herself beside the quivering lynx. "The way Lilac and Carol turned on each other… Everyone was scared."

"Sally was scary as well," Maria continues. "She's such a nice person, but she looked like she was going to kill Lilac and Carol, and if she did, then would I be next, and‑"

"Sally's not capable of killing anyone," Amy assures, hugging Maria. "She'd rather sacrifice her own life than take someone else's. She only acted that way to stop Lilac and Carol before it was too late."

"Really?" Maria sniffs.

"I've known Sally for a very long time," Amy confirms. "There are very few as noble and selfless as her. And I'm sure she was just as scared as you."

Maria wipes her eyes dry. "Thanks," she sighs, smiling slightly.

"Feeling better?"

"A little."

"I know: let's find Cream, and go make milkshakes. That'll cheer us both up."

"Can I have banana?"

"You can have any flavour you want," Amy promises.

"Banana milkshakes are my favourite," Maria comments, sliding off the bed and onto her feet. "They always make me a happy kitty."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Amy asks enthusiastically, jumping to her feet and heading for the door.

"Last one there's an icky meanie!" Maria chirps, sprinting out the door before Amy.

"Hey, wait for me!" Amy calls playfully as she gives chase.

* * *

As Amy and Maria race for milkshakes, Sally is her own room, her ring‑blades sat on her desk.

"I don't know what came over me," Sally laments. "I feel physically sick just thinking about it."

"You did what you had to do to regain control," Nicole assures, her hologram form still flickering slightly.

"That doesn't make it any more acceptable," Sally replies. "I held my blades to their throats. What sort of message does that send? We're meant to be better than that!"

"We've all known you for long enough to know that's as far as you'd ever go," Nicole comforts. "And that you'd only go that far if you had no other choice."

"That's still no excuse." With an exasperated sigh, Sally sits heavily on her bed. "I'm not fit to be a leader."

"Don't say that," Nicole assures. "You're a great leader. It's thanks to you this group of crazy misfits has remained such a cohesive unit. Your leadership in the face of adversity rescued your father, freed Mobotropolis, reinstated the Kingdom of Acorn, and drove the Eggman Empire almost entirely out of the Acorn Archipelago. Around the world, there are at least a dozen Freedom Fighter groups that formed because we inspired them. Sonic may get the attention and the glory, but the true hero of this world is sat right in front of me wallowing in pointless and undeserved self‑pity."

"Thanks."

"Sorry, that was a bit mean. I should probably disable my 'tough‑love' routine."

"Don't do that," Sally requests. "It may have been a bit mean, but it's what I needed to hear. And you're right, I am fit to lead, and I did do the right thing earlier. I just wish I wasn't forced to."

"You and everyone else," Nicole agrees, sitting beside her friend and hugging her.

"You should see if Tails and Rotor need a hand," Sally suggests.

"They can handle things without me," Nicole assures. "Besides, I think I'm needed here more."

"What would I do without you, Nicole?" Sally asks, embracing her friend to hide her tears.

"I try not to think about that," Nicole replies softly, simulating tears of her own.

For a few moments, the two friends hold each other in silence.

"Are you crying?" Sally asks quietly.

"I'm a hologram," Nicole answers. "I can't cry. But I can simulate it accurately enough to get the desired effect."

"That was… informative," Sally replies.

"Sorry," Nicole apologises. "My emotion routines still have a few bugs."

"It's OK," Sally assures. "I prefer to think of them as features."

* * *

Sonic enters the hangar to find Tails sat near the exterior door, looking out at the sky. "Hey there best bud!" he greets cheerily. "Rote's looking for ya!"

"Hey Sonic," Tails sighs in return.

Sonic dashes across the hangar and sits next to the melancholic kitsune. "What's on your mind, buddy?"

"Thinking about things," Tails answers.

"What things?"

"Earlier things."

Sonic pauses a moment. "You're worried we might fall out like Lilac and Carol did."

"Yeah," Tails admits.

"You know that won't ever happen, right?"

"But what if it does? Lilac and Carol are like sisters, yet earlier they looked ready to kill each other. And we're like brothers. What if we fall out like they did, and no‑one's around to intervene?"

Sonic puts his arm around Tails. "No matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, there will always be me and you," he assures. "We may not do as many missions together as we used to, but you're always the first person I tell about them when I get back. And while I technically own the _Tornado_ , it's your insignia on the flank. You're the one who works on it, the one who flies it: I just ride on the wing. As far as I'm concerned, the _Tornado_ is yours and yours alone."

"And when I'm on a mission and you're not, you're always there to meet me when I get back," Tails recalls. "And you don't leave me alone until I've told you all about it," he adds with a smile.

"You're my best friend, and while we're not related, I think of you as my brother," Sonic replies. "That means I'm always there for you, whether you need me or not. Nothing will ever change that."

"Thanks," Tails sniffs, putting his arm around Sonic. "And I'll always be there for you. After all, what's a way cool hero supposed to do without his sidekick?" he adds with a smile.

"You're more than a sidekick," Sonic compliments. "You're a hero in your own right many times over."

"Well, I guess I did save Station Square from being blown up that time," Tails reminisces.

"Don't forget all the times your skills with the _Tornado_ proved invaluable, like when chasing down the original _Death Egg_ ," Sonic reminds.

"Speaking of the _Tornado_ , wanna give me a hand rebuilding it?" Tails asks.

"You know I'm not good with building stuff," Sonic reminds. "Of course I'll help," he adds with a smile.

* * *

In the brig, Lilac and Carol sit in their separate cells, steadfastly remaining silent, each refusing to be the first to speak. So determined they are to remain silent, they don't notice Cream and Cheese enter the brig.

"Look at you two!" Cream barks, her normally saccharine voice dripping with bitter anger. "All the time you've been on this ship, you've always been so happy and friendly with each other. You reminded me so much of Mr Sonic and Mr Tails. But now you remind me of that nasty Dr Eggman and his mean robots!"

"Chao, chao!" Cheese barks in agreement.

"You two should think long and hard about what you've done!" Cream continues. "And when you realise how naughty you've been, you will apologise to Miss Sally and to everyone else on this ship!"

Cream storms out of the brig without waiting for a reply.

For several long moments, Lilac and Carol remain silent.

"We uh… kinda got a bit carried away back there," Carol eventually quietly admits.

"Yeah," Lilac agrees equally quietly. "I think the shock of being trapped on this world let Sash out again."

"Sash didn't come out," Carol assures. "If she had, I'd be in the medical bay. Or in a morgue."

"Look, what I said earlier, I didn't mean anything by it," Lilac explains. "I just… lost it."

"I wasn't any better," Carol replies.

"You're right though," Lilac admits. "Without you, I wouldn't be here today, doing my best to get us both killed."

"And I wouldn't keep having to bail you out," Carol teases.

"And I wouldn't be here to keep you out of trouble," Lilac teases back.

"You're doing a great job, by the way," Carol smirks sarcastically. Lilac can't see it, but somehow, she knows it's there.

"Tell me about it," Lilac sighs, unable to hide an amused smile. Carol can't see it, but somehow, she knows it's there.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"When Coral… when that happened, for a long time, I thought I didn't have anyone to look up to," Carol admits. "But eventually, I realised that not only was there someone to look up to, I was already looking up to them. Coral is… was my big sister, but she's not the only one. And having a dragon for a sister is pretty cool."

"Not as cool as having a Tea as a sister," Lilac replies. _And I don't want to lose you, even if it means taking a horrible secret to my grave._

"Nothing's cooler than having a Tea as a sister," Carol grins cheekily.

"Milla would disagree," Lilac teases.

"Me and Milla disagree about something?" Carol replies in mock surprise, deliberately over‑acting. "Who would have thought?"

"I miss her," Lilac admits. "If she was here, we wouldn't have even started fighting."

"What happened to us?" Carol asks. "When did we become so dependent on a third friend?"

"I don't know," Lilac admits. "But when all this is over, I want to rekindle the magic our friendship used to have."

"I want that too," Carol agrees.

"And we'll stop causing chaos‑" Lilac begins, stopping as she has an epiphany. "That's it!"

"What's it?"

"The Chaos Emeralds! We can still get home!"

"But we need all seven, remember?"

"That's what we thought," Lilac reminds. "But Eggman generated a portal big enough for the _Death Egg_ with just three, and we have four!"

"So, Miss Heropants, what's the plan?" Carol asks.

"I'm not sure yet," Lilac answers. "But if my understanding of how the Emeralds work is correct, then with me, you, and Maria all working with Sonic, we'll be able to not just get home, but bring _Sky Patrol_ with us! And then we can save Avalice from Eggman!"

"You said 'we'," Carol points out.

"Of course!" Lilac replies. "Where would I be without my tail?"

"Oh, I dunno, locked in a gaol cell on some flying fortress?" Carol teases.

"Touché," Lilac chuckles.

"Do you really think it'll work?" Carol asks.

"It has to," Lilac answers.


	21. Desperate Measures

With the repairs to the _Tornado_ complete, Tails heads to assist Rotor with repairs to _Sky Patrol_ , and Sonic goes for a run around the ship. As he passes the zen garden, he screeches to a halt and backpedals. "Hey Sal, how's things?"

"So much for half an hour to myself," Sally sighs in amusement, sitting up on the sand.

"Sorry, Sal. I'll‑"

"I'm kidding," Sally assures. "Actually, I wouldn't mind having a chat with you about a couple of things."

"Sure thing," Sonic agrees, entering the zen garden and sitting next to Sally. "What's up?"

"I want to talk about what happened in the meeting room earlier," Sally replies.

"If you hadn't stepped in, I would have," Sonic assures. "You did exactly what a leader should do: you took control and made sure nothing bad happened."

"Nicole thinks so too."

"And you know we're both right."

"I know. It's just good to hear it from someone else."

"So, what's the plan?"

"I don't know," Sally sighs. "This whole situation's weird. Eggman's gone to another dimension, but we know he'll be back. And given he's gone to Avalice, he'll likely return with an army. We have Freedom Fighter groups all over the world, but even with them and GUN, there's no guarantee we'll be able to combat an Eggman army from another world. And then there's the Avalicians trapped here. Maria may act sweet and innocent, but she's hiding the truth of who she is, I just know it. As for Lilac and Carol… How two close friends can cause so much chaos, I don't‑ Of course!"

"'Of course' what?" Sonic asks, confused.

"The Chaos Emeralds!" Sally explains. "I know we initially set out for all seven, but Eggman managed to open the biggest Genesis Portal we've ever seen with just three. And we have four! If we get it right, we'll be able to follow him!"

"But Sal, we don't have the sort of machinery he does," Sonic reminds.

"No, but we have something better," Sally replies, looking directly at Sonic. "Think you're up to the challenge?"

"Didn't you say you wanted a machine because you weren't sure I'd get it right?"

"Desperate times."

"Then I'll do my best."

"You always do."

* * *

Half an hour later, Sonic and Sally are alone in the hangar, all the planes and other vehicles moved as far to the sides as possible.

"Is there anything you need?" Sally asks as Sonic arranges the four Emeralds in a diamond around him.

"Three more Emeralds would be nice," Sonic smirks.

"I'm serious," Sally states firmly.

"I know" Sonic assures. "And no, I have all I need. Now stand back: this may get… interesting."

As Sally backs away, Sonic closes his eyes and focusses on the task at hand. The Chaos Emeralds begin glowing a little brighter as they lift off the deck and begin to orbit Sonic, surrounding him in a ring of multi‑coloured iridescence. As the energy levels build, Sonic's quills start to lift, flashes of yellow tracing along their edges.

"Come on!" Sonic grunts, the stress of his exertions beginning to show. "Just… a… bit… more… _Gah!_ "

The Emeralds clatter to the floor, inert. Sonic drops to one knee, panting heavily.

"What happened?" Sally asks, concerned.

"Four isn't enough," Sonic answers, recovering his breath quickly. "I need all seven."

"There must be another way." Sally thinks for a few moments. "We're trying to get to Avalice, and we have on board three Avalice natives, one of which who has shown the ability to utilise at least one Chaos Emerald. I wonder…"

"I don't follow."

"They have an attachment to Avalice that we'll never have," Sally explains. "Maybe the Emeralds will be able to detect that. If they can, we might just stand a chance."

"Two of them are in the brig," Sonic reminds.

"For the protection of themselves and the team, I know." Sally sighs. "But we don't have any other options."

* * *

In the brig, Lilac and Carol wait patiently for their release: however, for one of them, their patience is about to expire.

"I'm breaking us out of here," Carol decides, heading over to the door lock, a claw extended ready to pick it.

"Please don't," Lilac requests. "We've already broken Sally's trust enough: I don't want to make it worse."

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Carol asks, frustrated.

"Until now," Antoine answers as he enters the brig, his wife beside him. "Ze princess has requested you to be in ze hangar."

"An' before you think about tryin' any funny business, you'll be wearing these," Bunnie adds, holding up two pairs of sturdy handcuffs.

"I'm not wearing those!" Carol states defiantly.

"If Sally wants us cuffed, then we go cuffed," Lilac decides, turning around and holding her hands behind her. "Otherwise we won't be going anywhere."

"Fine," Carol concedes, turning around in the same manner as Lilac. "But you owe me."

"More than I can ever repay," Lilac replies quietly.

Antoine and Bunnie open the cell doors, fit the handcuffs, then escort Lilac and Carol to the hangar, arriving to find Maria waiting for them with Sonic and Sally.

"You two, over here," Sally commands Lilac and Carol, who dutifully obey. "You will do exactly as I say, when I say it. You will not object, you will not complain, you will not _speak_ except to acknowledge my orders. Do you understand?"

"We understand," Lilac and Carol chorus in deference.

"Get in position," Sally commands.

Silently, Lilac and Carol take up positions opposite each other in a square with Sonic, who is outwardly relaxed as usual, and Maria, who looks nervously between the two Avalician heroes.

"It's OK, kid," Sonic assures Maria. "Everything's under control."

"I turned eighteen three weeks ago," Maria comments idly.

"Maria has already been briefed on the plan, so I'll be quick," Sally addresses to Lilac and Carol. "Four people, four Emeralds. Each of you will hold two Emeralds, one each with the person either side of you. You will then think of Avalice, of your home, your friends, your families, anything and anyone you want to return to. With luck, the four of you together will open a Genesis Portal large enough to get _Sky Patrol_ to Avalice. Do you think you're able to do that?"

"Yes ma'am," Lilac and Carol chorus.

"Antoine, Bunnie, remove the handcuffs," Sally commands. "When you're ready, Sonic."

Sonic takes a deep breath. "Let's do it to it."

Together, Sonic, Maria, Lilac, and Carol pick up the four Chaos Emeralds, holding them as per Sally's orders.

Sonic takes a deep breath. "Chaos Control!"

Once again, the Emeralds begin to glow as Sonic taps into their power. With the aid of the three Avalicians thinking of their homeworld, the power level rises rapidly. Within moments, Sonic's quills lift, yellow flashes running down their length. Lilac's hair whips also rise, jagged rings of azure running the length from scalp to tip. Silver arcs play over Carol's fur, while Maria's olive pelt is striated by rivers of vivid lime.

Suddenly, just outside the ship and in view of the hangar, a tiny Genesis Portal appears. Slowly, it grows until it's half the size of _Sky Patrol_.

"It's working! Keep it up!" Sonic encourages.

The Portal continues to grow, but soon, Maria falters. "It's too hard!" she cries, her legs shaking from the effort.

"Stay focussed!" Sonic instructs. "You can do it!"

" _But it hurts!_ " Maria wails.

"I know," Sonic admits. "It'll be worth it when you're home."

"I can't… I can't do it," Maria sobs, the vivid lime fading as her focus slips.

Lilac can remain silent no longer. "Think of Hanna Skarlett!" she commands.

"How will that help?" Maria snaps.

"Because I know how much you care for her!" Lilac explains.

"How?" Maria asks in disbelief.

"In Zao's office, you called her 'my Hanna'," Carol explains.

"But… how?" Maria asks, still not understanding.

" _Because that's how much we care for each other!_ " Lilac and Carol chorus.

Their admission, along with Maria's renewed confidence as she turns her thoughts to the vixen that rescued her from a living hell six years ago, causes the Chaos Emeralds to glow dazzlingly brightly. The light washes out everyone's vision, blinding them.

 _Sky Patrol_ shudders as it begins to move towards the rapidly expanding Genesis Portal.

"Come on!" Sonic grimaces. "Just a bit more!"

" _We're giving it everything we have!_ " the three Avalicians chorus.

Suddenly, Chaos Control ends, the four Emeralds clattering to the floor as their four users collapse in a daze.

Lilac is the first to stir. "Did… Did we do it?"

"Not sure," Carol replies.

"We did something," Sonic informs, looking out of the hangar. "We're not where we were."

Lilac and Carol slowly pull themselves to their feet, then look outside to see the viridian foliage of Dragon Valley stretching out before them.

"It's…" Carol begins.

"…home," Lilac finishes.

Overcome with joy, the two best friends embrace each other in a loving hug, both freely crying tears of happiness.

"We did it, Carol," Lilac whispers. "We really did it."

"We did it together," Carol whispers back.

"And we can save Avalice together," Lilac promises.

"I don't know anyone called Trevor," Maria murmurs, still dazed. "Wait… where are we?" she asks as her senses return to her.

"I think, based on Lilac and Carol's reactions, you're home," Sonic explains.

"But that's Dragon Valley, and I live in Jade Creek, which means I'm‑" Maria begins. "Which means I'm back on Avalice!" she realises, leaping to her feet and jumping for joy. "I'm back on Avalice! I'm home! I've never been such a happy kitty!"

"All three of you performed admirably," Sally compliments. "I must admit, I had my doubts, but you've achieved what seemed impossible."

Maria turns to celebrate with Lilac and Carol, hesitating when she sees them hugging and crying. "Are you OK?" she asks the two best friends.

"I think they're more than OK," Sonic answers.

A moment later, Lilac and Carol end their hug and turn to Sally. "Sorry for going against your orders," Lilac apologies.

"We promise not to do it again," Carol adds.

"Apology accepted," Sally nods.

"We're ready to return to the brig," Lilac informs.

"That won't be necessary," Sally decides. "Instead, I want you to follow these two new orders."

"Of course," Carol replies.

"First: save Avalice," Sally orders. "And second: no matter how bad things get in the future, remember this moment. Remember what you did together today, powered by nothing but the love you have for each other. Hold onto that love, and you will always prevail."

Lilac and Carol put their arms around each other's shoulders. "We won't let you down," they chorus.


	22. Lilac's Plan

"So, Miss Heropants, what's the plan?" Carol asks, back to her usual self.

"I'll let you know when I've thought of it," Lilac answers. "What do we know so far?"

"Eggman's in the Shuigang Snowfields with three Chaos Emeralds, and we're in Dragon Valley with four," Carol summarises.

"Sonic, Sally, you know Eggman best," Lilac continues. "What's his modus operandi?"

"His what?" Sonic asks, confused.

"World conquest with an army of badniks," Sally answers. "Thankfully his Egg Army is still on our world."

"Then he'll head to Shuigang first," Lilac concludes. "And I'm getting déjà vu like _crazy_ ," she adds, her hair whips twitching slightly. "Anyway, no time for that. We'll need to get to Shuigang as soon as possible, but we shouldn't go alone: we'll need all the help we can get. Carol, head to Red Scarves HQ, see if you can persuade Spade to help us out. If he refuses, make something up."

"Like what?" Carol asks.

"You'll think of something," Lilac winks. "Maria, head to Shang Tu, and see what help the Magister is willing to provide."

"And pick up my bike while you're there," Carol adds.

"Why would he listen to me?" Maria asks.

"Because of what you and your friends accomplished in the Gotoshi," Lilac explains.

"How do you know about that?" Maria gasps. "Not even the Scarves Leaders know!"

"You'd be surprised how trusting people are around a world‑famous hero," Lilac winks.

"I prefer anonymity," Maria admits.

"Me too," Lilac replies. "Sally, you and the Freedom Fighters set course for Shuigang and intercept Eggman's forces."

"I assume you'll need pilots to fly Carol and Maria where they need to go," Sally offers. "Tails can take Carol, and Antoine can take Maria."

"Thanks," Lilac nods.

"What about you?" Carol asks.

"Like you don't know already," Lilac chuckles.

"Cool!" Carol beams.

Lilac sprints to the edge of the hangar, then scans the tops of the trees. "Aha! I see our treehouse! Perfect!" Lilac takes a deep breath, places two fingers of each hand in her mouth, and whistles as loud as she can.

"Lilac?" Sally asks.

"Patience," Lilac replies. "He's on his way."

Twenty seconds later, a compact white and blue robot appears in front of Lilac, hovering about head height, its twin tentacles curled back in deference. Welcome home.

"It's so good to see you, Pangu," Lilac replies, stroking the robot's casing. "Ready to save the world again?"

I am always ready to kick some serious tail with you, Pangu replies.

"No offense Lilac, but that thing looks a little fragile," Sonic comments.

"Pangu may look fragile, but he's tougher than me," Lilac replies. "Watch."

Before anyone can stop her, Lilac jumps out of the hangar, taking Pangu with her.

"Not again!" Bunnie groans, activating her leg rockets.

"Not so fast," Carol interjects. "Give it a second."

Before Bunnie can reply, a ferocious roar rolls into the hangar.

"What was that?" Antoine asks, briefly letting fear take over.

"You'll see," Carol smirks.

Suddenly, a massive creature shoots past the entrance of the hangar, heading for the sky.

"I know what that is!" Maria sings, unable to hide her excitement.

The creature appears again, diving from the sky a short distance from _Sky Patrol_. It swoops down over the trees, then climbs level to the hangar, halting with its head just inside the ship, Lilac perched on top.

"Everyone, meet the Holodragon!" Lilac greets.

Sonic, Sally, Antoine, and Bunnie can only stare in disbelief.

"He is impressive, isn't he?" Lilac grins, hopping off the Holodragon's head and onto the deck.

"You _own_ that?" Sally breathes.

"I wouldn't say 'own' as such, but essentially, yes," Lilac confirms as the Holodragon vanishes, Pangu descending to hover by Lilac's side. "I found this little guy in the heart of Pangu Lagoon, hence why I call him Pangu. I'll admit, it wasn't the friendliest of meetings: he tried to kill me. But when I beat him and broke through his defences‑"

"And kicked him in the face," Carol cheekily interrupts.

"‑he recognised me as dragonkin," Lilac continues unperturbed. "Turns out he's the heritage of my ancestors. And once Shang Tu got the information they wanted from him, they gave him to me in recognition of my achievements. Since then, he's been a loyal companion, not just to me, but to Carol and Milla too. After all, we saved the world as a team, so we share the rewards as a team."

Sonic is the first to recover his composure. "Lilac, that is _way past cool!_ "

"You haven't seen his giant laser yet," Lilac smirks. "Anyway, we've wasted enough time. Let's do it to it!"

"That's my line!" Sonic retorts playfully.

* * *

The rebuilt _Tornado_ flies in formation with the _Twister_ until Shang Tu appears on the horizon, at which point Tails turns the _Tornado_ away from the city and towards a small fortified town hidden among the hills: Red Scarves HQ. Taking care to approach low, the _Tornado_ avoids detection, landing in front of the main gate.

"Open the gates!" Carol orders, standing proud on the top wing. "I must see Spade immediately!"

"On who's authority?" one of the two guards on duty demands.

"Do you not recognise the legendary Carol Tea?" Carol answers.

The two guards exchange confused looks.

"Really?" Carol asks, feeling a little deflated. "You have heard of me, right?"

"Wait… are you the same Carol Tea that helped defeat Brevon?" the second guard asks.

"Finally!" Carol confirms. "At least one of you has a brain cell. Now open the gates!"

"No need: I'm here," Spade interrupts, appearing on top of the wall above the gates. "Still wearing our scarf, I see. Why are you here, traitor?"

"Because your brother's kingdom is about to be attacked by a madman with an army of robots," Carol informs.

"Brevon's back?" Spade asks in disbelief.

"No, but this guy's almost as bad," Carol explains. "Oh, and by the way, he also has three gems called Chaos Emeralds that make the Kingdom Stone look like a flashlight battery. Wanna steal them from him?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Spade demands.

"Do you dare risk another Brevon Crisis?" Carol replies cheekily.

Spade curses under his breath, then vaults over the top of the wall and air‑dashes onto the top wing of the _Tornado_. "Well?"

"Tails, to Shuigang!" Carol instructs, striking a heroic pose.

"Don't do that, it's really cheesy," Spade comments.

* * *

"There it is!" Maria points at the Shang Tu Palace throne room's balcony.

"Are you sure about zis?" Antoine asks.

"I'll be fine!" Maria assures, sliding down the _Twister_ 's top wing to the tip.

Antoine slows as much as he can without stalling the plane, then passes as close to the balcony as he dares. Choosing her moment carefully, Maria leaps off the wing, between two pillars, and lands in a graceful roll in the middle of the throne room. _That was the most stupid thing I've ever done._

" _Freeze!_ " orders an angry‑looking panda in matching purple fitted chest armour and skirt over a black bodyglove, her crystal‑tipped staff pointed directly at Maria.

"Not now, Neera!" Maria replies. "Where's the Magister!"

"He's far too important to see the likes of you!" Neera barks.

"Stop being such a silly meanie and tell me where he is!" Maria demands.

Neera doesn't answer, instead firing an arc of energy at Maria. The lynx tries to dodge, but to no avail: she is struck by the arc and encased in ice, leaving only her head exposed.

"N‑No f‑fair!" Maria stammers, struggling in vain to break free.

"I did say 'freeze'," Neera reminds. "Now either tell me why you're here, or be locked in the dungeon. Your choice."

"I t‑told you, I n‑need t‑to s‑see th‑the M‑Magister!" Maria explains, the cold of the ice rapidly soaking heat from her slim frame.

"Why would he want to meet a Red Scarf?" Neera scoffs.

"Because we owe her more than you realise," the Magister answers, entering the throne room. "Now free her."

"But‑"

"Now."

Reluctantly, Neera fires a second arc at Maria, freeing her from the ice. "I do not advise this," the panda cautions.

"Noted," the Magister acknowledges before turning to Maria. "What brings you here, little one?"

"Sh‑Shuigang is about t‑to b‑be attacked!" Maria explains, frantically trying to warm up.

"By whom?" the Magister asks.

"Eggman!" Maria answers. "He's got this b‑big robot army, and three gems c‑called Chaos Emeralds that have c‑crazy amounts of energy in them, and a m‑meanie robot that nearly k‑killed Lilac, and‑"

"Say no more," the Magister interrupts, not wanting to make the same mistake he made during the Brevon Crisis. "I assume speed is of the essence. Unfortunately, I cannot spare my army, but I'm sure Neera will be willing to accompany you."

"Excuse me, sir?" Neera asks.

"Your skills with energy manipulation could prove to be a substantial advantage," the Magister explains. "In addition, I imagine your name still carries substantial weight in your former home city."

Neera opens her mouth to object again, but thinks better of it. "As you wish, Your Excellency."

"Yay!" Maria chirps. "Oh, nearly forgot: where's Carol's bike?"

* * *

The _Tornado_ and the _Twister_ reunite in the skies west of Shang Tu, and set course for Shuigang.

"I see the rebel prince is along for the ride," Neera comments as Antoine positions the _Twister_ alongside the _Tornado_.

"I'm no prince," Spade growls. "I'm only interested in keeping my brother safe."

"If that's the case, why do you spend all your time with a bunch of criminals?" Neera asks.

Spade doesn't respond.

* * *

At the edge of the Snowfields, the _Tornado_ and _Twister_ reunite with _Sky Patrol_ to find Sonic, Sally, and Lilac waiting for them in the hangar.

"I had hoped for more from the Magister," Lilac sighs.

"At least Maria found my bike," Carol replies, unable to hide a contented smile.

"The Magister sends his apologies he could not do more," Neera informs, hopping off the top wing of the _Twister_ as it rolls to a halt.

"It does somewhat alter my plan, but we'll make it work," Lilac accepts.

" _You're_ commanding this circus troupe?" Spade asks indignantly as he drops to the deck.

"Got a problem with that?" Lilac spits back.

"Not at all," Spade replies. "I'm just surprised _you're_ running the show. You'd think that after the way you blundered through the Brevon Crisis, you'd leave the world‑saving to professionals."

"If it wasn't for my 'blundering', there wouldn't be an Avalice _to_ save," Lilac reminds.

"Only because Carol and I bailed you out repeatedly," Spade retorts.

"…touché," Lilac reluctantly admits.

"Are you sure you want him here?" Sally asks Lilac.

"I'm sure," Lilac answers. "He has connections to King Dail of Shuigang we can exploit. Isn't that right, _Prince_ Spade?"

"I told you never to call me that!" Spade snaps. "I will protect my brother," he promises, calm again. "But that is all I will help you with, traitor. I'm not going to bail you out this time."

"You won't need to," Lilac assures. "This time, I know what I'm doing."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Spade smirks, leaning against the _Tornado_ , pretending to be no longer interested in the conversation.

"What assistance can I offer?" Neera asks.

"Go with Spade and assist King Dail," Lilac decides. "As the former priestess and royal advisor, I expect your name to still carry some weight."

"Very well," Neera bows.

"That just leaves the question of who will fly you there," Lilac thinks aloud.

"I can fly," Spade reveals.

"Good," Lilac states. "That leaves more of us to fight Eggman. Sally?"

"Hm?" Sally asks.

"You're vastly more experienced than me at fighting Eggman," Lilac explains.

"Nicole?" Sally calls.

"I'm here," Nicole replies, appearing beside Sally.

"Can you tell where Eggman and his forces are?" Sally asks.

Nicole closes her eyes briefly as she accesses _Sky Patrol_ 's scanners. "The _Death Egg_ landed in the Snowfields, but Eggman isn't on board. There's a snowstorm making long‑range scanning very difficult, but there's strong evidence Eggman is close to Shuigang, if not already there."

"Then there's no time to lose," Lilac interrupts. "Spade, Neera, take the _Twister_ and go now."

With nods of acknowledgement, Spade climbs into the cockpit of the _Twister_ , and once Neera is on the wing, they take off and set course for Shuigang.

"Where are the three Emeralds Eggman has?" Sally asks Nicole.

"They're on the _Death Egg_ ," Nicole answers.

"In that case, we'll split into two teams," Sally decides. "Team Chaos will be me, Nicole, and Maria: we will obtain the Emeralds from the _Death Egg_. Team Fighters is everyone else: they will take _Sky Patrol_ and engage Eggman's forces." Sally activates her communicator. "Rotor, I'm leading a team into the _Death Egg_. You're in charge until I return."

"Aye‑aye, Sally," Rotor accepts.

"I'll brief everyone on the full plan on the way to Shuigang," Lilac volunteers.

"Good idea," Sally compliments. "That means we can depart sooner. Nicole, are you ready?"

"Affirmative," Nicole confirms as everyone else except Maria begins to make their way to the meeting room.

"Maria, we'll be using Extreme Gear to get to the _Death Egg_ ," Sally informs. "Have you ever ridden a skateboard?"

"Once," Maria reveals. "I fell off."

"What about a snowboard?"

"Same."

"In that case, you can borrow Cream's board," Sally decides.


	23. Scrambling the Eggman

The _Twister_ arrives at Shuigang just a few minutes behind Eggman. Electing to preserve the element of surprise, Spade pilots the plane to a quiet place just outside the city walls, landing and hiding the _Twister_ among the trees.

"Neera, mobilise the Sky Battalion," Spade instructs. "Leave Dail to me."

"Sure, but how are we going to get into the city?" Neera asks. "The main gate is the other side."

"I know a better way," Spade answers cryptically. "Follow me."

* * *

In the palace throne room, King Dail sits alone, steadily working through the last of the day's formalities. Before he can finish however, he is interrupted by a palace guard.

"Your Majesty," the guard greets. "There's someone at the main gate asking to see you."

"Tell him to make an appointment like everyone else," Dail commands.

"I did sir, but he's insistent," the guard explains. "Says he fears his life is in danger."

Dail sighs. "Very well," he acquiesces. "Bring him here. Under guard, of course."

* * *

A few minutes later, the visitor is brought into the throne room, with Dail standing in front of his throne waiting. The king is surprised to see that the stranger, clad in a red military‑style coat and black trousers, his luxuriate orange moustache the only hair on the creature's furless body, is far taller than even the tallest Avalician.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me, Your Majesty," the stranger greets, bowing low in deference, his two robot assistants bowing in synchrony with their master.

"I understand you seek sanctuary here?" Dail asks.

"Affirmative," the stranger confirms.

"May I ask why you fear your life is in danger?" Dail continues.

"You may, Your Majesty," the stranger replies. "I am being pursued by a heavily‑armed team of guerrilla warriors who have taken exception to my efforts to improve the lives of my fellow citizens through technology. They have destroyed my laboratories and research facilities, and kidnapped or killed many of my most valuable employees. Knowing it was only a matter of time before I fell victim to their evil, I fled in my airship in a desperate attempt to escape. At first, I thought I had succeeded, but it was not to be: they stole an airship of their own and tried to chase me down. As I approached the Snowfields, I again thought I was finally free of them. But again, I underestimated them: they shot me down, forcing me to land in the middle of the Snowfields. Luckily, I could use the cover of the snowstorm to escape. Knowing how formidable your aerial battalion is, and knowing how kind and benevolent you are, I decided to come here to seek sanctuary. In return, I offer you unlimited access to my technology."

"You crash‑landed in the Snowfields"? Dail asks.

"Correct," the stranger confirms.

"The last stranger to come here after crash‑landing in the Snowfields killed my father, enslaved me, and took over this kingdom," Dail informs. "He then manipulated the other two kingdoms against each other and Shuigang as part of an operation to steal the Kingdom Stone, an ancient relic whose power allowed the kingdoms to exist. How do I know you aren't here to do similar?"

"Your Majesty, if I was intending to conquer your kingdom, I wouldn't have come alone with two humble service robots," the stranger assures. "I would have come with an army of battle robots."

Dail thinks for a moment. "You make an excellent point," he concedes. "Very well, I will grant sanctuary."

"You will not!" a new voice interrupts from above.

Dail looks towards the source of the voice. "I know it's you, brother. Why are you interfering with royal matters you ran away from?"

Spade drops from the ceiling, landing between Dail and the stranger. "The same reason I interfered a year ago: to save you from making a disastrous mistake," he explains. "This stranger is _not_ here for sanctuary. His name is Doctor Eggman, and he is here to conquer this kingdom and bend you to his will!"

"Such a hurtful accusation!" Eggman protests. "I came here to seek sanctuary, not take over the kingdom!"

"On what evidence do you base this foul accusation on?" Dail demands.

"The word of Sash Lilac and Carol Tea," Spade answers. "They may be traitors undeserving of their status, but there is no denying what they've done for Avalice."

"Two of the three girls who saved Avalice from Lord Brevon, ended the energy crisis, and brought peace to the three kingdoms," Dail recalls. "And yet you still harbour your pathetic bitterness. Ironic, given your own erroneous allegiance."

"My allegiance is not up for debate," Spade dismisses.

"I have more important matters at hand," Dail agrees. "Dr Eggman, in light of this new information, I formally withdraw my offer of sanctuary, and hereby place you under arrest. Guards! Escort this creature to the dungeon!"

"Luckily, I came prepared," Eggman grins menacingly. "Orbot! Send the signal!"

"At once, sir," Orbot obeys.

A second later, Metal Sonic smashes through the ceiling of the throne room, heading straight for Spade and Dail. Spade tries to draw his pistol, but he's too slow: Metal smashes his pistol, then pins both him and Dail to the floor.

"Oh, by the way, I lied when I said I'd bring an army to conquer your kingdom," Eggman gloats. "I only need my finest. Get a good look at him: he'll be the last thing you ever see. Unless…"

* * *

Unaware of Spade's turn of misfortune, Neera makes her way into the headquarters of the Sky Battalion. Despite being absent for over a year, the former priestess and royal advisor finds her passage through the military complex smooth and effortless. _Lilac and the Magister were right: my name still carries weight around here._

Before long, Neera finds herself outside the office of the Battalion's Air Force General. After taking a moment to gather herself, she knocks on the door.

"Enter," a gruff voice calls from within.

"Good afternoon, general," Neera greets as she enters.

"Neera Li! Good to see you again!" the general returns, his tone lightening considerably. "What brings you back to Shuigang? Life in Shang Tu not going as you expected?"

"On the contrary: the Magister is very accommodating, and he's helped make Shang Tu feel like I belong," Neera answers. "But my visit to Shuigang is not a diplomatic one. This city is about to be attacked by a robot army led by a madman bent on world domination, and the Sky Battalion must move to combat him."

"That is certainly serious," the general comments. "How did you come by this information?"

"Weirdly, from an active member of the Red Scarves the Magister inexplicably trusts," Neera explains.

"Hardly enough to mobilise the Battalion," the general scoffs.

"That's what I thought," Neera agrees. "But when her story was corroborated by Sash Lilac and Carol Tea‑"

"The saviours of Avalice?" the general interrupts. "What are we waiting for? We must launch as soon as we can!"

* * *

On the bridge of _Sky Patrol_ , Rotor notices an unusual signal on the scanners. "Lilac, you might want to look at this."

"What have you seen?" Lilac asks.

"Several airships are taking off from inside the city," Rotor reports. "They appear to be made of… wood?"

"Excellent!" Lilac smiles. "Neera's got the Sky Battalion on the move! That'll make our job much easier!"

"I'm not so sure it will be," Rotor replies. "According to this, Eggman's in the palace."

"Then we have no time to waste!" Lilac declares. "How far away are we?"

"Three minutes," Rotor answers.

"I'd better get down to the hangar," Lilac thinks aloud. "Are you, Big, and Cream OK handling things up here?"

"We'll be fine," Rotor assures. "Now get down there and save your homeworld!"

* * *

Deep within the _Death Egg_ , Sally and Maria are making excellent progress. Between Sally's previous experience infiltrating the flying fortress before the Shattered World Crisis, and Maria's natural stealth skills honed to near‑perfection by years of Red Scarf training, they are just moments from the chamber in which the Chaos Emeralds are secured. However, as they approach the only entrance, they find it guarded by an unusual guardian.

The girls hide out of sight to plan their next move.

"Eggman left a _plushie_ to guard the Emeralds?" Maria asks, confused. "It's not even cute: it's just icky creepy."

"That's Tails Doll," Sally explains. "It may look like a badly‑made stuffed toy, but it's dangerous."

Maria analyses Tails Doll briefly. "Something tells me cutting that gem from its head will stop him."

"It's worked before," Sally confirms. "You distract it, I'll cut the gem off."

Maria peeks around the corner. "I have a better idea," she replies, drawing her tanto. "I just need one good shot."

"You're going to throw your knife at it?"

"Tanto, and to cut the gem off."

Sally thinks a moment. "Worth a shot," she decides, preparing to activate her ring‑blades and attack if Maria's throw misses.

Maria focusses on the task, waiting for the right moment. When it comes, she leaps from the hiding place and throws her tanto diagonally directly at Tails Doll's control gem.

Tails Doll turns, but it's too late: the tanto cleaves the gem cleanly from its head.

"Nice throw!" Sally compliments as Tails Doll slumps, inactive. "Now let's get those Emeralds."

While Maria recovers her tanto, slicing Tails Doll's head from its body with her ninjato on the way, Sally opens the door control panel. "Nicole, can you hack this open?"

"Yes, but I'm not touching Eggman's systems directly," Nicole answers. "I don't want to risk encountering Phage again, especially with the fate of two worlds at stake. What I can do though is load my hacking routines onto something else, then you can use that to hack the door open."

Sally looks around her to find Maria's picked up the control gem as well as her tanto. "What about that?"

"That'll work," Nicole confirms.

Maria sees Sally holding out her hand for the gem. "Yet another shiny gem I can't keep," the lynx sighs, handing it over.

"I only need it for a few minutes," Sally informs. "Then you can have it back."

Once Nicole's hacking routines are loaded onto the gem, Sally uses it to hack the door open in just a few seconds. The girls waste no time in gathering the Emeralds and beginning their escape.

"This has gone smoother than expected," Sally observes. "And that has me worried."

"At least we now have all seven Emeralds," Maria reminds.

"Let's get to Shuigang."

* * *

As Sally and Maria make their escape from the _Death Egg_ , they don't notice Eggman's latest creation following them, her blue eyes glowing with murderous intent.

* * *

On the outskirts of Shuigang, _Sky Patrol_ and the Sky Battalion engage Eggman's badnik horde from the air, while Sonic, Amy, Antoine, and Carol engage on the ground, Amy and Antoine using Extreme Gear to increase mobility. Bunnie switches seamlessly between air and land thanks to her leg rockets, and Tails makes full use of both the _Tornado_ and T‑Pup to offer close‑quarters air support.

But nothing compares to the terrifying majesty of the Holodragon.

Unleashing a great roar across the battlefield, Lilac pilots the Holodragon over the badnik horde, vaporising entire squads with the powerful laser at her disposal.

"That thing _rocks!_ " Sonic yells excitedly as he pinballs from badnik to badnik, leaving a trail of scrap metal.

"Stop ze gawping and keep to ze fighting!" Antoine instructs.

"Keep your wig on, 'Twan!" Sonic retorts.

Slowly but surely, the combined might of Carol, the Freedom Fighters, _Sky Patrol_ , the Sky Battalion, and the Holodragon whittle the badnik horde down from thousands to several pockets of just a dozen or so bots.

"Rotor to everyone, we got this," Rotor assures over the radio.

"You heard him!" Lilac adds. "Time to scramble Eggman!"

With one last rallying roar, the Holodragon descends into Shuigang, landing in formation with the _Tornado_. Moments later, Sonic, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, and Carol reunite with Lilac and Tails.

"Pangu, stay with the _Tornado_ ," Lilac instructs as the Holodragon disappears. "Everyone else, follow me and Carol."

Street by street, the eclectic mix of heroes works their way through the city. Any badnik that gets in their way is swiftly dispatched, and in just ten minutes, they arrive at the main entrance to the Palace to find Eggman waiting for them.

"Ah, so glad you could join us!" the doctor greets.

"Surrender now, Eggman!" Sonic demands.

"Stay right there, rodent!" Eggman commands. "Unless you want the king of this insipid city and his brother to die?"

"What have you done with Spade and Dail?" Lilac demands.

"They're hanging out together," Eggman quips, gesturing towards the top of the Palace, where the heroes can just see both Spade and Dail bound securely, hanging inverted from a beam crudely tacked onto the roof, Metal Sonic poised to cut the rope.

"Let them go!" Lilac growls.

"I'd be more worried about your friends who thought they could board my _Death Egg_ without me knowing," Eggman smiles wickedly.

As if on cue, Sally and Maria arrive. "We have the Emeralds!" Maria chimes.

As they come in to land, a purple blur charges into them, smashing both Extreme Gear boards. Sally and Maria land heavily as the blur climbs, then disappears behind the Palace.

Sonic dashes to the Sally's aid as Carol dashes to Maria's.

"I'm OK," Sally assures, picking herself up. "But whatever that was, it took the Emeralds."

"I'm OK too," Maria adds, accepting Carol's assistance.

"Alright Eggman, you've had your fun," Amy growls. "Return the Emeralds and surrender."

"I have a better idea," Eggman replies. "Give me the other four Emeralds and surrender."

"Freedom Fighters never surrender!" Sally states defiantly.

"Then I leave you in the capable hands of my latest creation," Eggman bows as he retreats through the gate, his latest creation taking his place.

The heroes are stunned by what they see: lavender head and limbs, blue armour plated torso, hips, hands, and feet, and twin purple floor‑length flexible tentacles sprouting from the back of the robot's head behind two ferociously sharp horns.

"This isn't good," Carol comments, fear creeping into her voice.

"It's…" Lilac begins, unable to voice the terrible truth.

++I am designated Metal Lilac,++ the robot announces. ++My mission: to destroy anyone who opposes Dr Eggman. Prepare to die.++


	24. Metal Nightmare

"I'll handle this bucket of bolts!" Sonic declares, charging at Metal Lilac and rolling into his trademark Spin Attack. In response, Metal Lilac curls into a ball and spins on the spot, charging a Mecha Dragon Boost, and unleashes it at point‑blank range.

Sonic is thrown high into the air, flying over several buildings before landing heavily on a street a hundred yards away.

"That went well," Carol quips, deadpan.

"We're going to need the Emeralds," Sally concludes.

"I'll get them," Maria volunteers.

"Everyone else, you know what to do," Sally commands.

As one, Tails, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, Sally, Lilac, and Carol charge Metal Lilac.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Maria makes her way to the Palace wall and looks for a place to scale and get inside. However, just as she finds a suitable location, Metal Sonic lands in front of her, blocking her path.

"No icky robot's gonna stand in my way!" Maria cries defiantly, drawing her ninjato.

++You cannot defeat me,++ Metal Sonic replies. ++Prepare to‑++

Sonic slams Metal into the wall.

"Go!" Sonic barks. "I'll hold him off!"

With a nod, Maria resumes her infiltration, scaling the wall the way only a feline can.

"Whaddya say, Metal?" Sonic goads. "Fancy losing to me again?"

++This time I will defeat you,++ Metal replies.

"You say that every time," Sonic smirks as the duel begins.

* * *

Once inside the Palace walls, Maria quickly dives for cover, gets her bearings, then turns her highly‑trained hearing towards the Palace itself. Listening intently and doing her best to shut out the cacophony of battle the other side of the wall, Maria picks up the faintest hint of Eggman's location. Darting from shadow to shadow, pausing occasionally to listen again, she swiftly closes in on Eggman's location.

Maria follows Eggman all the way to the throne room, but just as she's about to follow him inside, she hears two robots behind her. Shrinking into the shadows as much as she can, she turns to see the doctor's two lackeys, Orbot and Cubot.

"Good thing Metal Lilac left these Emeralds in a convenient location," Orbot comments.

"Yeah, and they were easy to find too!" Cubot agrees.

"The doctor's really outdone himself with his new robot," Orbot opines. "I never thought he'd build anything as great as Metal Sonic ever again," he continues, not noticing the violent feline eyes watching him float past.

"When are we going to get upgrades?" Cubot asks. "We're Eggman's right‑hand bots!"

"Oh Cubot," Orbot sighs, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "We're Eggman's assistants. Why would he‑"

Orbot pauses as he feels a breeze pass by. Nervously, he turns to find Cubot has disappeared without a trace. "Cubot?"

Someone taps on Orbot's head.

Orbot turns to find Maria looming over him, her eyes flashing with murderous intent, the decapitated Cubot at her feet.

"Kitty wants the shiny," Maria growls, grinning maliciously, raising her ninjato.

"Oh dear," Orbot sighs.

* * *

While Maria sneaks into the Palace and the battle outside the Palace wall builds momentum, _Sky Patrol_ and the Sky Battalion finish mopping up the last of the badnik horde.

"And that's the last one!" Rotor exclaims as the final badnik is destroyed by _Sky Patrol_ 's laser blaster. "Cream, try and hail Sally."

Cream taps away on her control panel for a few moments. "Sorry Mr Rotor, but I can't contact Miss Sally: Miss Neera's contacting us," she reports.

"Put her through," Rotor instructs.

The image of the stern panda appears on the viewscreen. "I'm afraid I have some bad news," Neera informs.

"Let me guess: the others are involved in a big fight in the middle of the city," Rotor guesses.

"And the Sky Battalion cannot help," Neera confirms.

"I have a feeling they'll need the Emeralds," Rotor thinks aloud. "Neera, can you come aboard _Sky Patrol_?"

"I'll be there in two minutes," Neera agrees.

"Good," Rotor replies. "With your help, we may just pull this off."

* * *

Five minutes later in the hangar, Rotor is briefing Cream, Neera, and Big by the _Speed Star_.

"…and once you get there, you must make sure Sonic gets the Emeralds," Rotor finishes.

"We'll get them to him," Neera promises. "And I'll protect Cream to the best of my abilities."

"Thank you," Rotor replies. "Now get going: there's no time to waste."

* * *

Outside the Palace walls, Metal Sonic and Metal Lilac hold the Freedom Fighters, Lilac, and Carol to a stalemate.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Sally cries, barely avoiding Metal Lilac's hair whips as they flail past her nose. "Sonic, Tails, Amy: try to lure Metal Sonic away from here!"

"Sure thing, Sal!" Sonic agrees. "Hey, bolt‑brain!" he yells to Metal Sonic. "Bet ya can't catch us!"

++You shall not get away this time,++ Metal Sonic replies, giving chase as Sonic sprints away from the Palace, Tails and Amy right behind him.

++Fools,++ Metal Lilac hisses. ++You have only made your defeat more inevitable.++

"We've never lost to Eggman before," Sally retorts defiantly. "We won't lose today!"

Sally charges in to attack, ring‑blades blazing. But Metal Lilac is ready. Ducking under Sally's attack, Metal Lilac grabs the chipmunk's feet and swings her around, throwing her across the street and into a wall.

Antoine and Bunnie are next to charge as Sally slumps to the ground, unconscious. But again, Metal Lilac is ready. Catching Antoine's sword, Metal Lilac wrenches it from Antoine's hands before thrusting a knee hard into his abdomen. She then uses the sword to deflect a blast from Bunnie's cannon before spinning it to cut deep into the rabbit's mechanical arm, disabling it. Dropping low, Metal Lilac sweeps Bunnie's legs from under her, pinning her as she hits the ground.

"You think that's enough to stop me?" Bunnie challenges, kicking her feet up and igniting her leg rockets, bathing Metal Lilac's torso in flame.

++Amusing. But I can do better.++ Metal Lilac ignites her own leg thrusters, lifting off with both Bunnie and Antoine in hand. Once ten feet in the air, Metal Lilac begins to spin, building up momentum before releasing first Bunnie then Antoine. Bunnie manages to twist in the air and fire her rockets, slowing her down, but she cannot avoid her husband slamming into her. Together, the couple career through a shop window and into the shelves, where they lie entangled and unconscious.

Metal Lilac lands, then turns to Lilac and Carol. ++I've been going easy so far. Now it's time to end this.++

"The way she fights… it can't be…" Lilac breathes, shocked and stunned by the ruthlessly efficient brutality shown by her metal counterpart.

"I can take her," Carol claims, her voice full of determination.

"Did you see what she just did?" Lilac asks in disbelief. "She fights like Sash!"

"And I fight like a Tea," Carol smirks.

" _Carol, no!_ " Lilac pleads.

But Carol's not listening. Claws at full extension, the wildcat charges Metal Lilac. The robot tries to counter, but Carol is too fast: raining a rapid series of blows, Carol starts to push Metal Lilac back towards the Palace wall. Metal Lilac tries ever more desperately to counter, but Carol keeps up the pace, steadily causing more and more damage to the robot.

Suddenly, Metal Lilac stumbles. Carol attempts to press her advantage as the robot falls, but the fall gives Metal Lilac an opening too. Planting her feet in Carol's abdomen, Metal Lilac kicks the wildcat high into the air. Lilac sprints to aid her friend, but she's too slow: Metal Lilac charges a Mecha Dragon Boost and unleashes it directly at the falling Carol. Metal Lilac follows the first Boost with two more in quick succession, each catapulting Carol higher into the air. Catching Carol as she falls, Metal Lilac charges one final Mecha Dragon Boost, and unleashes it straight down.

" _CAROL!_ " Lilac screams in terror.

The impact shakes the ground and kicks up a blinding dust cloud.

Unable to see, Lilac stumbles through the dust cloud. As it begins to clear, she sees a faint green blur. Overwhelmed by panic, Lilac dashes towards the blur, praying she's not seeing what she thinks she's seeing.

The dust cloud clears to reveal her worst nightmare come true.

Lilac halts, unable and unwilling to accept what she sees. Slowly, she approaches the body of her best friend laying immobile in a shallow crater. Stricken with grief, Lilac falls to her knees beside the body. "No… please… be alive…"

"Lilac?" Carol asks, her voice so weak it's almost silent.

"Carol!" Lilac answers, greatly relieved her friend is still clinging to life. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get the best‑"

"It's too late for me," Carol wheezes. "This is where my journey ends."

"No, don't say that," Lilac replies, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's only just beginning."

"It's funny," Carol sighs. "I always knew I'd die young."

"No, don't!" Lilac begs, taking Carol in her arms. "Please, stay with me!"

With one final sigh, Carol falls limp, her life extinguished.

Overcome, Lilac collapses in tears, hugging her friend's body, desperate for Carol to live.

Maria returns to the scene. "I got the Emer‑" she begins buoyantly, stopping when she realises the battle has been lost, and at a tragic cost. In stunned silence, Maria approaches Lilac, wishing what she's seeing isn't true. But when she sees Carol's body in Lilac's arms, she can hold it in no longer. Crying freely, Maria joins the hug. "I'm so, so sorry," she sobs. "I know how much you cared for her."

The dragoness stops crying. Slowly, she lays Carol on the ground, removes Maria's arm from around her shoulders, then stands slowly, her fists clenched tighter than they've ever been clenched before.

++It's no use fighting me,++ Metal Lilac informs. ++Surrender, and I'll make your death quick.++

"You took my best friend from me," Sash growls, turning to face Metal Lilac, her tear‑filled eyes burning with intense hatred and vengeful fury. "And for that, I will _annihilate_ you."

++I'd like to see you try.++


	25. Sash vs Lilac

With a primal scream that causes Maria to shriek in terror, Sash charges Metal Lilac. As she closes in, Sash curls to charge and unleash a Dragon Boost, Metal Lilac responding in kind.

Both Boosts are unleashed at point‑blank range.

The shockwave shakes the ground and kicks up a thick dust cloud. But this doesn't slow Sash down. Back‑flipping and landing on her feet, Sash charges again immediately, barely giving Metal Lilac time to recover before unleashing a ferocious flurry of punches and kicks. Metal Lilac blocks every single one, but it's clear the robot is being pushed to its limit.

Desperate to put some space between her and Sash, Metal Lilac engages her leg thrusters, and hovers backwards several feet. Sash charges again, but this time Metal Lilac is ready. The robot unleashes a powerful Mecha Cyclone that catches Sash by surprise. The metal hair whips wrapping painfully around her head, Sash is knocked flat. But the dæmonic dragoness won't be taken down so easily. Turning the fall into a roll, Sash twists and sweeps Metal Lilac's legs from under her. The robot hits the ground hard, but before Sash can follow up, Metal Lilac grabs one of Sash's hair whips. Pulling hard, the robot yanks Sash off the ground, slamming the dragoness down again on the other side.

Metal Lilac tries the same trick again, but Sash counters with a Cyclone of her own. Metal Lilac's grip fails, and she is thrown high in the air as Sash's hair whips tear deep gashes in the paving. Free from the robot's grip, Sash gets back to her feet as Metal Lilac twists, engages her thrusters, and powers directly at the dragoness. Sash reacts on instinct. She rolls backwards and unleashes a ferocious two‑footed kick directly at Metal Lilac's head, returning to her feet as Metal Lilac tumbles through the air.

Metal Lilac recovers and lands on her feet. ++You are more formidable than I anticipated,++ she compliments dryly.

"I'm just getting started," Sash growls back.

As Sash and Metal Lilac engage once more, Neera arrives with Cream and Big right behind her. "In the name of the Ancients," she breathes, shocked by the level of destruction and the ferocity of the dragoness's battle against her robotic counterpart.

Cream then spots Maria cowering in the crater next to Carol's body. "Miss Neera! Over there!"

Neera looks to where Cream is pointing. "It's worse than I thought," she thinks aloud, sprinting over to the crater. Putting herself between the two felines and the battle, Neera plants her staff in the rubble and conjures a shield that surrounds the whole crater, protecting herself, Carol, Maria, Cream, and Big.

"It's OK Miss Maria, we're here to help," Cream comforts, placing a hand softly on Maria's shoulder.

Maria yelps in surprise and rolls away, drawing her tanto in self‑defence. "Sorry," she apologises, dropping her tanto. "I just… _I don't know what to do!_ " she wails, throwing herself at Cream and hugging her tightly.

"We'll think of something," Cream assures, holding Maria firmly yet gently, crying in sympathy.

Neera closes her eyes, mutters a brief series of incomprehensible words, then releases her staff. The shield flickers slightly as the staff settles, then stabilises. "OK, we're safe while the shield holds," she informs the others. "Now I must tend to Carol."

Cream guides Maria away as Neera crouches over Carol's body, searching for signs of life, her expression growing darker as she fails to find any. "I fear we may be too late," she admits.

"Surely you can do something?" Cream asks.

"There is one thing, but it's a long shot," Neera answers, extracting a small vial from inside her chest plate. "This elixir once rebuilt Lilac: maybe it can revive Carol."

Neera opens the vial and pours the contents into Carol's mouth, lifting the wildcat's head and shoulders to help the elixir flow down the wildcat's throat. For a few moments, Neera waits for any sign the elixir is starting to take effect, but no sign appears.

"I've done all I can," Neera sighs in defeat, laying Carol's body down again. "She's… not going to recover."

The shield buckles and flickers as Sash is slammed into it. Neera dives for the staff to reinforce the shield just in time: Metal Lilac slams into Sash less than a second later, pinning the dragoness in place.

++This is where your journey ends,++ Metal Lilac declares.

" _Then I'm taking you with me!_ " Sash yells defiantly. Unable to counter the Metal Lilac's strength, Sash wraps her hair whips around the robot's neck, trying desperately to crush it and cripple the robot.

++Foolish.++ Metal Lilac wraps her own mechanical hair whips around Sash's neck to constrict and asphyxiate. ++What makes you think you can win?++

" _Because I'm_ exactly _where I want to be!_ " Sash grins wickedly.

Inside the shield, seven points of light begin to glow. Green, yellow, purple, blue, grey, red, and cyan, the seven Chaos Emeralds lift into the air, form a ring, and begin to spin until they're a multi‑coloured blur. Big dives in front of Cream and Maria to shield them. Neera ducks as low as she can, her hands gripping the staff tighter than she ever thought possible.

Suddenly, two shafts of pure Chaos energy fire from the centre of the ring, one to Sash, the other to Carol's body. The energy transforms Sash. Her colours change from lavender and purple to flaming orange and vivid scarlet, and her clothes to a completely lightless black. As more Chaos energy flows into her, she's surrounded by a flaming aura as her elemental affinity changes from water to fire.

Metal Lilac hesitates. ++Does not compute.++

With the ferocity of an explosion, Super Sash blasts Metal Lilac high into the air.

" _IT ENDS NOW!_ " Super Sash bellows, soaring high into the sky in a ball of flame, homing in on Metal Lilac.

"What on Avalice?" Neera asks, in total disbelief.

"She's using the Chaos Emeralds," Cream informs, her voice quivering from fear, peeking out from behind Big. "But her heart is full of hate."

"How is she using them?" Big asks. "They're still down here."

The Chaos Emeralds accelerate further, their colours blending into a brilliant white ring. Slowly, Carol's body lifts off the ground and into the centre of the ring.

"What on Avalice is going on?" Neera demands, fighting down her rising sense of panic.

There's a blinding flash of light as a brilliant silver‑and‑gold streak soars skywards. When Neera, Cream, Maria and Big recover their vision, they find the Emeralds are gone, and so is Carol's body.

"Um… where did they go?" Maria asks.

Her answer lies in the silver‑and‑gold streak rapidly catching up to Super Sash. Travelling faster than anything any Avalician has ever witnessed, the streak tears straight through Metal Lilac before Super Sash can catch up, smashing the robot to its components in an instant.

" _NO! SHE WAS MINE!_ " Super Sash bellows, accelerating after the silver‑and‑gold streak.

The streak halts suddenly. " _STOP!_ " a voice cries in desperation.

But Super Sash doesn't stop. She charges straight into the silver‑and‑gold figure, slamming into it with the force of a landslide.

The silver‑and‑gold figure doesn't move an inch.

Recovering from the rebound, Super Sash turns to the figure. " _How dare you steal my kill?_ "

"Lilac, please, you're better than this," the figure replies.

" _That thing took my best friend! It was_ mine _to annihilate!_ "

"Carol wouldn't agree."

" _And how would you know? Who on Avalice are you? Answer, or die!_ "

The silver‑and‑gold figure descends in front of Super Sash. "I am your tail."

" _LIAR!_ " Super Sash shrieks, her flaming aura expanding and intensifying.

"Lilac, please, look at me."

" _Carol is DEAD!_ "

"I was. But now I'm alive, thanks to you."

Super Sash hesitates. Slowly, she begins to make out the features of the silver‑and‑gold figure hovering in front of her. The oversized ears. The silver fur with gold markings in a pattern so familiar. The crop top and shorts. And most importantly, the trademark red scarf.

As the realisation dawns, the dragoness's colouring changes from a fiery orange and burning red, to a calming azure and royal blue, her clothes regaining their original colour. Eyes previously burning with vengeful fury now sparkle with hope, and the flaming aura hisses to steam as her elemental affinity reverts to water.

"C… Carol?" Lilac asks.

"Super Carol, actually," the wildcat winks.

"But… I…"

"Am Lilac again. Or, more accurately, Super Lilac, thanks to the Chaos Emeralds."

Lilac hovers for a moment, then overcome with joy, she throws herself at her best friend, hugging her tightly. "I thought I'd lost you forever!" she cries, so choked up she's barely able to speak.

"I got a second chance," Carol replies, shedding happy tears of her own as she returns her friend's loving embrace.

"I'm eternally thankful for that," Lilac whispers.

"Me too."

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Go insane with grief?"

"…touché."

The hug breaks. "We should probably land soon," Carol suggests.

Lilac looks down to see they're over a thousand feet above Shuigang. "Um… how did we get so high?"

"I'll race you back down," Carol challenges.

"In these forms, you might beat me," Lilac thinks aloud.

"Wanna find out?"

"On three. One."

"Two."

"Three!"

In perfect synchrony, Super Lilac and Super Carol turn and fly straight down, pushing themselves as fast as possible. Once close to the ground, Carol executes a perfect somersault and lands gracefully, Lilac doing the same a second later.

"I win!" Carol grins, posing victorious with her hands on her hips.

"You… How?" Lilac asks, unable to believe she was beaten.

"I'm Super," Carol boasts, then surveys the scene. "I see you made quite a mess down here," she teases.

"Grief does crazy things to people," Lilac explains.

Carol then notices Neera, Cream, Big, and Maria staring at them both in disbelief. "Hi guys!" she waves enthusiastically. "Surprised to see me?"

Maria is the first to speak. "Lilac? Carol? Is that really you?"

"Carol the _Super_ Wildcat, at your service!" Carol grins. "Oh, and Super Lilac too," she adds almost as an afterthought.

Maria dashes over to Lilac and Carol and hugs them tightly. "I'm so glad you're both OK!"

"Not as glad as us," Lilac smiles warmly.

Maria breaks the hug and takes a step back, wiping away her tears of joy. "You're both so…"

"Heroic?" Lilac asks.

"Super cool?" Carol asks.

"Shiny!" Maria chimes. "Can I be shiny too?"

"I… have absolutely no idea," Lilac answers. "I don't even understand how _I'm_ shiny!"

"Nor me," Carol adds. "I wonder how long it'll last?"

At that moment, Sally stirs awake. "Ow, that hurt," she groans, slowly picking herself up. Sally then surveys the scene around her, her eyes resting on Super Lilac and Super Carol. "Erm… what did I miss?"

Antoine and Bunnie then emerge from the shop they crashed into. "Zut alors," Antoine sighs. "I'm going to be ze feeling zis tomorrow."

"Not as much as me," Bunnie adds, her damaged arm hanging limp. She then notices Lilac and Carol. "I assume there's a reason those two are glowing funky colours?"

"We'll explain later," Lilac promises.

Sally unhooks the handheld from her belt. "Nicole?"

The face of a lynx appears on the screen. "I was wondering when you were going to check on me," she teases.

"Sorry, I was unconscious for a bit," Sally apologises.

"I know." Nicole pauses a moment. "I see Carol has all seven Chaos Emeralds, and Lilac is sharing their power."

"That explains the funky colours," Bunnie realises.

Suddenly, a crippled and defeated Metal Sonic crashes to the ground right behind Maria, who almost leaps out of her fur in surprise.

"Looks like I missed quite the party," Sonic quips, sliding to a halt beside his defeated copy, Tails and Amy a short distance behind him. "So, which one of you two has the emeralds?" he asks Lilac and Carol.

"I do," Carol answers.

"Lookin' sharp, kid!" Sonic winks. "Though I prefer Lilac's new colour scheme," he adds, referring to the similarity to his own fur.

"Thanks," Lilac blushes.

"Guess there's only one thing left to do, and that's go find old Eggbelly and tell him he's lost again," Sonic announces. "But first, this."

The Chaos Emeralds emerge from Carol and circle around Sonic, glowing brightly. In a flash of light, Sonic's fur turns yellow, his quills lifted upwards by the aura of pure Chaos energy that surrounds him. "Whaddya think?" Super Sonic asks. "Way past cool, or what?"

"Enough of this!" Neera demands, striking the ground with her staff. "I demand to know what on Avalice is going on!"

"Chill," Sonic assures. "I've done this loads of times."

Maria's ears twitch. "Something's launching."

Carol's ears twitch a moment later. "I can hear it too."

"Rocket boosters," Maria concludes. "Coming from within the Palace, heading skywards and towards the Snowfields."

"Are you sure about that?" Sonic asks.

Maria looks skywards, then points to a small craft flying overhead. "Pretty sure."

Sonic follows where Maria is pointing. "That's Eggman! He's getting away!"

"And at the speed he's going, we won't be able to chase him down," Lilac concludes.

"Lilac, remember how fast you flew with one Emerald?" Carol asks. "Now multiply that by seven."

"Or seventy," Sonic adds. "Or more: no‑one really knows."

"But what if the Emeralds run out of energy before we catch up?" Lilac asks.

"These things have kept me alive in the vacuum of space," Sonic explains. "They simply don't run out."

"In that case, what are we waiting for?" Lilac asks. "Let's do it to it!"

"I'm gonna start charging royalties at this rate!" Sonic quips.

Together, Super Sonic, Super Lilac, and Super Carol take off and pursue Dr Eggman towards the Snowfields.

"Now that's sorted," Sally begins, "who wants to go free Spade and Dail?"

"That's _King_ Dail to you!" Neera demands, pointing her staff at Sally. "Now tell me what on Avalice is going on, or I'm arresting all of you!"

Sally activates her ring‑blades. "I am happy to explain everything," she informs sternly. "However, I refuse to do so under duress. Stand down."

Neera is about to respond, but stops when she senses everyone else is staring at her. Looking around her confirms her instinct is correct. "OK," she relents, lowering her staff.

"Thank you," Sally replies, deactivating her weapons. "Now, where's the nearest café?" she asks as the others also stand down.

"Three blocks that way," Neera indicates. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm thirsty," Sally explains, allowing herself a little cheeky smile.


	26. Super Showdown

" _Cursed rodents!_ " Eggman yells to himself as he makes his escape over the Snowfields. "How dare they steal my Emeralds? They'll pay for this! _And_ they'll pay for destroying Metal Lilac! She was my finest creation! And they'll pay for Metal Sonic too!"

"What about paying for us?" the newly‑repaired Orbot asks.

"What? Oh, yeah, that too," Eggman replies half‑heartedly. "Just wait, Sonic! Before this day is out I will destroy you and your interfering friends, once and for all!"

* * *

As the trio of super‑powered heroes close in on Eggman and the _Death Egg_ , Sonic spots an unusually oversized mech standing in front of the flying fortress. "This looks promising," he smirks.

"We should smash it before he has a chance to use it," Lilac suggests.

"Trust me, he'll have thought of that," Sonic informs. "We'll need to do this the good old‑fashioned way."

"Hit it eight times to make it explode?" Carol quips.

"You'd be surprised how often that works," Sonic replies. "But something tells me this won't be that easy."

* * *

"Sir, they're catching up," Orbot warns.

"Do you think I don't know that?" Eggman snaps. "No matter: we're here."

Eggman wastes no time docking his egg‑shaped flyer into the top of the mech. Once docked, armour plating emerges to cover the craft, locking it in place. Eggman then activates the mech's systems.

"This is the end, Sonic!" Eggman declares. "Get a load of this!"

* * *

"Um… that mech's a lot bigger than it looked when we first saw it," Carol observes as the mech comes to life.

"That'll just make it even cooler when we beat it!" Sonic grins.

The trio of heroes slows to a halt as the mech rises to its full height of one hundred and fifty feet. Supported by black legs as wide as houses, the giant egg‑shaped torso is protected by thick red armour plating. Two massive red‑armoured arms protrude from the top of the torso, each ending in a polished steel hand four times wider than the heroes are tall. Mounted on the shoulders are two colossal laser cannons, and between them sits an armoured dome styled to look like Eggman's head, complete with orange moustache, and housing the doctor himself.

"OK, I admit, that is one big mech," Sonic thinks aloud.

"Ugly too," Carol adds.

"Meet the _Egg Titan!_ " Eggman announces, the mech's speakers booming across the landscape.

"Gotta say Doc, this one's one of your better efforts," Sonic replies. "Still gonna turn it to scrap," he adds with his trademark smirk.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Eggman gloats, activating the _Egg Titan_ 's shields.

A shimmering iridescence surrounds the entire mech.

"That's not good," Sonic remarks.

"Correct!" Eggman cackles. "This shield has been designed to withstand even your Super form! Checkmate Sonic! Hope you've said your goodbyes!"

"We'll see about that!" Sonic cries defiantly. "Girls, let's kick some serious tail!"

"Who's stealing lines now?" Lilac smirks.

The three heroes charge the _Egg Titan_.

Eggman retaliates by firing the laser cannons, causing the heroes to scatter. He then unleashes a salvo of missiles from the rear of the _Egg Titan_ , which home in on the heroes.

Lilac ducks the first missile that's tracking her, but cannot dodge the second one. The missile sends her tumbling, but she quickly recovers and resumes her attack. Some smart flying causes the third and fourth missiles to strike each other, and the fifth she guides into the _Egg Titan_. The shields flicker as they dissipate the force of the explosion, but they remain as strong as ever.

Carol, her superior agility enhanced by the Emeralds' power, avoids all five of her missiles with ease. However, she doesn't notice them turn and follow her. The first missile strikes her, sending her tumbling, but she recovers quickly. With Chaos‑enhanced metal affinity, Carol flies straight through the other four missiles, slicing them before they can detonate.

Sonic elects not to avoid the five missiles tracking him. Instead, he manœuvres each into position, then catapults them back at the _Egg Titan_ with perfectly‑timed Super Sonic Boosts. Each of the five missiles hits the colossal titan, but none break through the shield.

"Ha‑ha‑ha‑ha‑ha!" Eggman gloats, firing another salvo. "It's no use! Give up?"

"Never!" Sonic cries defiantly.

"Follow my lead!" Lilac calls to Sonic and Carol. "I have an idea!"

"Too busy trying not to get hit here!" Carol calls back, dodging the missiles tracking her.

"Guide them into the _Egg Titan!_ " Lilac instructs, carefully manœuvring to get her missiles lined up.

"It's worth a shot!" Sonic adds, performing the same trick with his own missiles.

Carol sees what Lilac and Sonic are doing. "Ah! It just might work!" she agrees, realising what Lilac's plan is.

Once all three have their missiles arranged, they come together and fly in formation directly at the _Egg Titan_ , peeling off in three separate directions at the last second.

In quick succession, all fifteen missiles strike the _Egg Titan_ , surrounding it in a cloud of black smoke.

The three heroes reunite at a safe distance in front of the mech and watch as the smoke cloud grows.

"That sure showed him!" Carol chimes.

"I knew it would work," Lilac smirks.

"Um… girls?" Sonic interrupts. "I'm not so sure it did."

The smoke clears to reveal the _Egg Titan_ is completely unscathed, its shield flickering, but still intact.

"Did you really think a few pathetic missiles would be enough to defeat this?" Eggman gloats. "Time for a change of pace!"

The _Egg Titan_ begins to move, showing surprising speed and agility for something of its colossal size. Firing rapid shots from its laser cannons, it swings its arms, trying to grab the heroes.

"Don't let it grab you!" Sonic cautions, shooting vertically up and out of danger.

Lilac and Carol hesitate and react too late: the crushing fists on the _Egg Titan_ close around them.

"Ngh!" Lilac grunts. "I… can't… move!"

"Me… neither!" Carol grimaces.

"Eggman! Let them go!" Sonic demands.

"As you wish," Eggman replies, each word dripping with menace.

The _Egg Titan_ raises its arms high in the air, then slams them open‑handed hard into the ground, crushing Lilac and Carol.

"Two down, one to go," Eggman gloats.

The _Egg Titan_ raises its arms to reveal both Lilac and Carol face down and motionless in the snow, no longer in their super forms.

"No…" Sonic breathes, unable to believe Eggman is winning.

"Face it hedgehog: this time, you cannot win!" Eggman declares, charging the twin laser cannons to finish Lilac and Carol.

Suddenly, a flurry of anti‑air missiles rain down upon the _Egg Titan_ , destroying the two laser cannons in the process.

"Take that, Eggbrain!" Rotor cries in triumph over _Sky Patrol_ 's external speakers.

"Gah!" Eggman exclaims as the _Egg Titan_ staggers from the onslaught.

"Sonic! Help them!" Rotor instructs. "I'll keep Eggman occupied!"

"Thanks Rote!" Sonic flies directly down to Lilac at top speed, landing smartly beside the stunned dragoness. "Lilac?"

"Hurt," Lilac grimaces.

"Don't worry," Sonic assures. "I'll have you up again in a second."

Sonic places a hand on Lilac's back and closes his eyes. Chaos energy flows from him into Lilac, slowly turning her colouring azure and blue again. Within moments, Lilac floats into the air, re‑energised.

"Thanks," Super Lilac nods. "Now to help Carol."

Together, the two heroes fly over to the immobile wildcat.

"Carol?" Lilac asks.

"Five more minutes…" Carol murmurs.

"We don't have that long," Lilac answers, placing a hand on Carol's back.

Sonic does likewise, and within moments, Carol floats into the air, her fur once again silver and gold.

"That was a nice nap," Carol yawns as she stretches.

"We have to end this," Lilac declares.

"Agreed." Sonic thinks a moment. "Eggman said that shield is designed to withstand my attacks. But you two have this… element whaddyacallit thing going on."

"We could use our elemental affinities to create an attack that overwhelms the shields," Lilac concludes.

Carol thinks a moment. "I have an idea, but… it needs Sash."

"No," Lilac denies. "I'm not letting _her_ out again."

"We need as much power as we can get," Carol explains. "And Super Sash is more powerful than you are."

Lilac sighs in resignation. "OK," she reluctantly accepts. "Just… don't let her take over."

"We promise," Carol and Sonic reply in synchrony.

"I wish there was an easier way…" Lilac closes her eyes, breathes deeply, then surrenders control. The dragoness's form flickers briefly with red and orange, then with a flash, the transformation happens: azure and blue turn to orange and scarlet, and a wave of heat washes over Carol and Sonic as the dragoness's elemental affinity changes from water to fire once more.

"What's the plan?" Super Sash growls.

"Sonic, you focus on speed," Carol explains. "Get us going as fast as possible. I'll tap into my metal affinity and turn us into a huge spike or something, and Sash, you surround us with flame. Together, that may just be enough to send this _Egg Titan_ to the scrapheap."

"It's worth a shot," Sonic agrees.

"Sounds stupid," Sash spits. "OK," she agrees a moment later.

"On three," Carol prompts. "One. Two. Three!"

Together, Sonic, Sash, and Carol take off and turn directly towards the centre of the _Egg Titan_ 's torso. Slowly, the trio start to orbit each other, steadily increasing speed.

"Now!" Carol commands.

Sonic unleashes a Super Sonic Boost. Simultaneously, Carol surrounds them with a razor‑sharp spike, with Sash coating the surface with intense flame.

The hyper‑charged flaming spike strikes the _Egg Titan_ right on target, the impact so powerful the mech's shields fail instantly. The torso is ripped to shreds an instant later, triggering explosions that destroy the _Egg Titan_ 's limbs and catapult the head dome high into the air.

Unaffected by the impact, the hyper‑powered spike continues directly towards the _Death Egg_ , tearing through the lower decks and destroying the main engines. The spike bursts out the other side and slams into the snow, disintegrating as Carol loses focus. The flaming aura vanishes as the trio tumble, eventually coming to a rest a few hundred feet away from the now crippled _Death Egg_.

Sonic is the first to recover. "Woah… that was… quite a ride," he pants as he slowly gets on his feet.

"You're telling me," Carol groans, pushing herself onto all fours. "Where's Lilac?" she asks.

"Here," Lilac answers, raising a hand out of the snow. "Is everyone OK? Did we save the world?"

"Everyone's OK, and we saved the world," Carol assures.

"Good," Lilac smiles to herself.

"Sorry you're not able to get home anymore," Carol apologises to Sonic.

"We'll get home," Sonic assures. "We just need to wait until the Emeralds recharge. Which should take… no idea how long."

"You're welcome to wait at the treehouse," Lilac offers.

"And King Dail can hold Eggman until‑" Carol begins.

The ground shakes as the _Death Egg_ slides towards a Genesis Portal, its thrusters pushed to the maximum to make up for the disabled engines. Stunned, Carol and Sonic can only watch as the _Death Egg_ slowly disappears through the Portal, which then closes with a loud pop.

"I wasn't expecting that," Carol comments.

"Guess he managed to store some Chaos energy just in case," Sonic shrugs.

A moment later, a loud snoring can be heard.

"Lilac's fallen asleep," Sonic observes.

"She really needs to see someone about that," Carol comments.


	27. Fond Farewells

Two hours later, Lilac, Carol, Maria, and the Freedom Fighters have relocated to Lilac's treehouse in Dragon Valley. Neera had returned to Shang Tu directly from Shuigang, and once Spade had ensured Dail was safe, he had returned directly to Red Scarves HQ.

In the light of the early evening sun, Amy, Cream, and Maria are keeping themselves entertained on the grass below the treehouse. Antoine and Bunnie are relaxing in the shade at the base of the tree, and Tails and Rotor are making final repairs to _Sky Patrol_ with Big's assistance. On the roof of the treehouse, Carol is enjoying the evening sun with Sonic and Sally, Nicole able to join them in hologram form thanks to a Power Ring. And Lilac is just waking up from her nap.

Yawning and stretching, Lilac walks out onto the balcony. For a few minutes, she watches the trio playing below. _Hard to believe just a few hours ago we were all fighting to save this planet. But with everything else they've all been through, they're used to pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. I'm still getting used to that…_

"Hey, you're up!" Carol greets, peeking over the edge of the roof.

Lilac looks up, straight into her best friend's cheesy grin. "What are you doing up there?"

"Enjoying the view," Sonic replies.

"Come and join us," Sally invites.

Lilac climbs onto the roof with Carol's assistance, and lays down next to the wildcat. For the next few minutes, the five friends simply rest, basking in the gentle warmth of the evening sun.

"Someone rescued Spade and Dail, right?" Lilac asks suddenly.

"Antoine and Bunnie got them down," Sally answers. "They've both agreed to keep our presence a secret, and blame the whole thing on someone corralling an assortment of Brevon's robots and attacking. Neera has agreed to the same story, and so has Maria."

"What about when someone finds what's left of Metal Sonic and Metal Lilac?" Lilac asks.

"That's the weirdest thing," Sally answers. "Metal Sonic was nowhere to be found."

"And I reduced Metal Lilac to her component parts, remember?" Carol reminds.

"About that," Lilac replies, her tone more serious. "I'm sorry for the way I acted," she apologises, taking Carol's hand. "I wasn't myself, and‑"

"It's OK Lilac," Carol assures. "If it was the other way around, I'd've gone crazy too."

"That's no excuse," Lilac continues. "I really need to learn to control Sash properly."

"I get the feeling that, if she hadn't appeared, I'd still be dead," Carol theorises. "From what I've been told, it was Sash who activated the Chaos Emeralds, and when she did so, the Chaos energy flowed into both me and her."

"I'd like to think it was me that triggered your revival, not her," Lilac admits.

"Maybe that's what really happened," Carol accepts. "I guess we'll never know for sure."

"The Chaos Emeralds are aptly named," Sally informs. "We've known about them for years, and used them numerous times, yet we are no closer to understanding them now than the first time we found them."

"The only thing we know for sure is, when I use them, we always win," Sonic adds, justifiably a little smug.

"Based on events so far, that does appear to be the truth," Nicole interjects. "However, past events are not always indicative of future events. There may come a day the Chaos Emeralds aren't enough."

"I'd rather not think about that," Sally admits. "Not while we're meant to be celebrating a victory, anyway."

A quiet growl interrupts the conversation.

"Um… that was me," Carol admits. "Anyone else hungry?"

"Now you mention it, I'm quite hungry myself," Lilac answers.

"And I know just what to make," Sonic volunteers.

* * *

Half an hour later, and everyone is enjoying an impromptu barbecue thanks to Tails' swiftly assembled outdoor grill. Initially, the Freedom Fighters offer to provide all the food, but Lilac and Carol insist on getting involved, as they are technically hosts to the Freedom Fighters. Soon, most of the assembled group are munching away happily on an assortment of delectables, with two exceptions: Carol and Maria, who Sonic insisted must have a chili dog before anything else. With curiosity getting the better of them both, the two felines find themselves sat at a table, each with a plate containing three examples of Sonic's favourite food in front of them.

"They look weird and gooey and they smell funny and tickle my nose," Maria mutters.

Carol takes a long sniff of her chili dogs. "I think they smell delicious," she opines, picking one up.

"Now be careful," Lilac cautions. "Sonic makes them very spicy."

"Didn't stop you," Sonic reminds cheekily.

"Will it hurt?" Maria asks.

"You'll be fine," Sonic assures.

"Though you may feel like you're breathing fire," Lilac adds.

With some trepidation, Maria picks up a chili dog and takes a bite, Carol taking a bite of hers a moment later. At first, they both appear to be enjoying their dogs, but it's not long before their reactions differ. The spiciness hits Maria like a landslide: unable to finish, she grabs her banana milkshake and downs half the glass in a somewhat successful attempt to cool her burning mouth.

In stark contrast, Carol is completely unperturbed, finishing her first dog with ease.

"That was icky nasty!" Maria gasps, her eyes watering so much her vision is blurred. "Too spicy for this kitty!"

"These aren't spicy," Carol shrugs, starting her second chili dog. "In fact, they barely tingle. They could be _way_ hotter than this!"

"Wait," Maria replies, dabbing her eyes dry, "you _like_ stuff this icky spicy?"

"Sure," Carol confirms. "I don't see what all the fuss is about."

"I…" Maria starts, not quite believing how casual Carol is acting.

"You did better than me when I first tried one," Sally assures, joining the quartet. "Let's just say it wasn't my most elegant moment…"

"I could show you the video," Nicole volunteers, sitting next to Sally.

"Th‑There's a video?" Sally asks, a little nervous.

"It was too funny _not_ to record it," Nicole teases.

Sally turns to Sonic and fixes him with a disapproving stare.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Sonic pleads. "It wasn't my idea to record it!"

Sally continues her stare.

"OK, I admit, it _was_ my idea," Sonic concedes.

"Thought so," Sally states flatly.

"I wanna see it!" Carol chimes.

"Me too!" Maria sings.

"No," Sally refuses.

"Please?" the two felines chorus, both wearing their cutest expressions, Maria's once again proving more natural.

Sally tries to resist the felines, but she can't. "OK, play it," she concedes with a sigh.

Nicole takes her handheld self and places it open so everyone can see the screen, then plays the video. By the time it finishes, Carol and Maria are laughing uncontrollably.

"OK guys, it's not _that_ funny," Sally states, blushing a little from embarrassment.

"I agree," Lilac adds. "It can't have been nice, and it's clearly embarrassing, and… I'm sorry, but they're right: it's hilarious!" she concedes, her façade breaking into laughter.

"I'm so embarrassed right now," Sally comments, burying her face in her hands.

"We've all done something foolish," Lilac comforts. "Remember my story about the crate?"

Sally peeks through her fingers. "That _was_ pretty funny…"

"The time I got caught in my own snare trap is funnier," Carol boasts.

"Also, remember I once panicked and cried for help when I fell in a stream two inches deep," Sonic reminds.

"Not to mention on three separate occasions I've appeared with my head on backwards," Nicole admits. "And a couple of times with limbs missing. Though one of those was thanks to _someone_ downloading something without checking where it came from first," she adds, looking at Sonic.

"I already apologised for that," Sonic reminds. "Twice. Anyway, don't you have antivirus?"

"Yes, but it's not perfect," Nicole confirms.

"Ooh! Can I go next?" Maria asks, returning to the topic at hand.

"Sure," Nicole agrees.

"You'll love this one!" Maria giggles. "There was this time I accidentally showered with peroxide instead of shampoo and turned into a snow kitty! I was whiter than the Snowfields!"

"I thought we played that trick on Hanna?" Carol asks through a mouthful of chili dog.

"You did, and it was _hilarious!_ " Maria giggles. "Rob had left the bottle in their shower after bleaching his own fur to make Hanna feel better, and when I borrowed their shower to clean up after falling off my trike and getting all icky muddy, I picked up the wrong bottle."

"See?" Lilac finishes. "We've all done embarrassing things, and we've all found a way to laugh at them."

"Well… I guess drenching myself in desperation was somewhat amusing," Sally admits, a hint of a smile appearing as she drops her hands. "And my babbling was pretty humorous too." Sally takes a deep breath, her composure recovered. "If I can be serious for a moment, there's something I'd like to say."

"Sure," Lilac replies.

"We all fight to save people, cities, countries, planets even," Sally begins. "But when you think about it, what we're _really_ fighting for is moments like these. Hanging out with friends, telling funny stories, and just enjoying life. _That_ is ultimately what we fight to protect. And I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better reason to continue fighting."

"Even if you're a ninja assassin like me?" Maria asks. "Not assassin!" she adds urgently. "I mean‑"

"It's OK Maria," Lilac assures. "As you said yourself, 'Every hero has their dark side.'"

"And it's not like you're a bad person," Sally adds. "We've only known you a day, but it's clear you have a good heart. I'm honoured to have fought alongside you."

"Thanks," Maria blushes deeply.

"And it's not just Maria," Sally continues. "Lilac, Carol, you have both proven to us all you are true heroes, as has Maria. All three of you have fought with bravery and honour, and as recognition of that, I'm making all three of you honorary Freedom Fighters."

"Really?" Maria gasps, surprised and excited.

"That is so cool!" Carol exclaims.

Lilac however is more hesitant. "Are you sure? I'm honoured, I really am, but I don't know if it's right. After all, when Sash takes control‑"

"You talk of Sash as if she's a separate person," Sally interrupts. "But I don't think she is. I think you're afraid of your true power, and so you hide from it by pretending that true power is someone else who's name is Sash. I hope that one day, you'll learn not to fear yourself. When that day comes, you'll realise your full potential."

"I'm not sure I'm strong enough to do that," Lilac doubts.

"You are," Carol assures. "I _know_ you are."

"Where would I be without you?" Lilac asks Carol.

"In over your head?" Carol teases.

"Touché," Lilac chuckles.

"Sorry to interrupt," Nicole interjects, "but I've just received an alert from _Sky Patrol_. The Chaos Emeralds have recharged, and are ready to use once more."

"Does that mean you have to go home now?" Maria asks.

"Duty calls," Sally explains. "Sonic, how long do you need to prepare?"

"As long as people need to say goodbye," Sonic answers.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the Freedom Fighters gather at the bottom of _Sky Patrol_ 's main boarding ramp, Lilac, Carol, and Maria standing before them.

"It's been quite a ride these past few days," Sally observes.

"Agreed," Lilac replies. "And despite how bad it got, I think it's safe to say all of us have emerged from the experience better than we were before."

"Agreed." Sally holds out a hand. "From one leader to another, I wish you the best of luck, whatever the future may hold."

Lilac accepts Sally's hand. "Thank you. And may the Ancients guide you and your team to victory as you continue to fight for freedom."

"Carol, you are one way past cool cat," Sonic winks. "Whatever happens, make sure you and Lilac remain friends throughout."

"Right back at ya," Carol grins. "You're lucky to have so many great friends," she adds warmly.

"We'll miss you," Amy sniffs, holding both Cream and Maria in a warm embrace.

"I wish you could come with us," Cream reveals, wiping away a few tears as the hug breaks.

"Part of me wishes that too," Maria replies, dabbing her eyes dry. "But my place is here on Avalice. I promise I won't forget you."

"Well, this is it," Sally concludes. "There's no way of knowing if we'll ever meet again, but I hope we do."

"Preferably when the fate of two worlds isn't at stake," Lilac replies.

The Freedom Fighters wave their goodbyes and board _Sky Patrol_ , apart from Sonic, who jumps on top of the ship to prepare for Chaos Control. Lilac, Carol, and Maria retreat to a safe distance as the boarding ramp is raised.

"Sonic, the ramp is closed," Sally informs via the ship's external speakers. "Whenever you're ready."

Sonic closes his eyes and focusses. The seven Chaos Emeralds float from his hands and begin to orbit him, their speed increasing until they're just a multi‑coloured blur. With a flash of light, Sonic transforms once more, his fur glowing bright yellow as he harnesses the pure energy of the Chaos Emeralds.

"Till next time." Super Sonic takes a deep breath. "Chaos Control!"

An intense flash of light briefly blinds Lilac, Carol, and Maria. By the time their vision recovers, _Sky Patrol_ is nowhere to be seen.

"Will we ever see them again?" Maria sniffs, dabbing her eyes dry again.

"I hope we do," Lilac answers.

"Me too," Carol adds.

"Me three." Maria then realises something. "How am I going to get home? My trike's still in Jade Creek!"

"I'll give you a ride back in the morning," Carol volunteers.

"You're more than welcome to stay the night with us," Lilac offers.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way," Maria replies.

"You won't get in the way," Lilac assures. "In fact, we'd be honoured for you to be our guest."

"Really?" Maria asks, surprised. "Even though I'm a naughty kitty?"

"You may be a Red Scarf, but you are definitely _not_ a 'naughty kitty'," Lilac compliments. "On the contrary, based on the last day or so, and what I know about your actions in the Gotoshi, you have proven to us both your heart is in the right place. If the rest of the Scarves were like you, then the world would be a much better place."

For several moments, the three Avalicians stare up at the sky, the Kingdom Vortex shining brightly as the sun sets.

"So, what do we do now?" Carol asks eventually.

Lilac thinks a moment. "How about a movie?"

"Eh, why not," Carol shrugs.

"Can I pick it?" Maria asks.

"Of course," Lilac answers.


	28. Epilogue

The following day, southeast of Midesta, on a purpose‑built island, the _Death Egg_ is once again docked for repairs. On the bridge, Eggman watches the monitors scroll endless information, but his attention is elsewhere. Lamenting yet another failed plan, the doctor is already formulating his next plan. Metal Sonic stands by his master's side, fully rebuilt after the damage sustained in Shuigang.

"You know something, Metal?" Eggman suddenly speaks. "It doesn't matter how many times I try to take over this world, or how many schemes I concoct, those rodents always find a way to defeat me."

They are innovative, persistent, determined, and resourceful, Metal observes.

"Indeed," Eggman agrees. "Sometimes I wonder if all this is predestined. Maybe I'm meant to lose each time. If so, then why continue? Then again, believing in predestiny is often considered patently absurd, in which case, there's always the chance I'll finally be victorious." Eggman pauses in thought. "I'll have plenty of time to philosophise while my beloved flying fortress is being repaired… Or I could plot my revenge."

I am yours to command, Metal replies.

"Excellent. I wonder if Wendy has found my conch shell yet…"

* * *

Morning in Mobotropolis, and a blue streak zips through the streets, people only noticing when it's already disappeared around the next corner. Within seconds, Sonic arrives at his destination: skidding to a halt, he pauses a moment to let the dust settle, then knocks on the door.

A few moments later, the door opens to reveal a pink hedgehog in a red dress. "Sonic!" Amy greets in surprise.

"Hey Amy," Sonic returns. "Wanna grab breakfast?"

Amy eyes Sonic suspiciously. "You're just going to run off again, aren't you?"

Sonic places his hand on his heart. "I promise I won't run off this time."

"I dunno…"

"Yesterday, Carol told me I'm lucky to have so many great friends," Sonic explains. "She's right: I am lucky, and sometimes I forget that. That's why I'm here, to spend time with a great friend, something I should do more often."

Amy continues her stare for a moment. "OK, I'll have breakfast with you," she decides. "But this time, if you run off, I'll chase you down with my hammer."

"You know I can outrun you, yes?"

"Won't stop me chasing you."

"It never has," Sonic winks.

Amy can't help but smile. "You're insufferable," she teases.

"So, you coming?" Sonic asks.

"Yes," Amy agrees. "So long as I choose where we go."

"Deal."

* * *

Meanwhile, on Avalice, Carol and Maria arrive at the lynx's Jade Creek home.

"Thanks for the ride," Maria thanks as she dismounts the bike.

"My pleasure," Carol replies.

"It's been great hanging out with you and Lilac again," Maria comments. "Even if things got all icky nasty."

"Likewise," Carol returns. "But it all worked out in the end."

"Y'know, I could get used to this world‑saving thing," Maria giggles.

"Trust me, it's not as cool as you think," Carol cautions. "Fame isn't as fun as I pretend it is."

"Plus, it'd get in the way of my work," Maria admits.

"You don't have to stay in the Scarves, y'know," Carol reminds.

"I know. But I enjoy it too much to give it up."

"Can't say I blame ya. Well, I'd better get back home. See ya!"

Maria waves Carol goodbye as the wildcat speeds away. Once the bike is out of earshot, Maria heads into the house just as Sally Flynn is entering the den from the kitchen, dressed only in a bikini.

"Oh… Hi," Sally greets. "Wasn't expecting company," she adds, a little self‑conscious.

Initially, Maria doesn't react, instead just staring at Sally. "Sorry," she apologises a few moments later. "Didn't expect to see you here." _Wow, she's gorgeous!_ "Is Danny around?" _He's really lucky!_

"Right here," Danny greets, appearing behind Sally in only a pair of swim shorts. "Why didn't you leave a note explaining you were on a mission? And why are you wearing a red dress?"

"I am?" Maria looks down at herself. "Oh poo! I forgot to give it back to Amy! Oh, well, too late now."

"Who's Amy?" Sally asks.

"If I had to guess, we weren't the only people spending the night together," Danny theorises.

"I _knew_ you two fancied each other!" Maria sings, grinning widely. "But I didn't spend the night with anyone," she adds, frowning only semi‑convincingly.

"You must have," Danny mistakenly corrects. "You're wearing her dress."

"Speaking of dresses, I really should put some more clothes on," Sally decides.

"Why?" Maria asks. "You look stunning!"

"Thanks," Sally blushes, "but I really should put on a bathrobe at least."

"You can use mine," Danny offers.

"Then I'll be back in a sec," Sally informs, trotting off to Danny's bedroom, both Maria and Danny watching her go.

"So, if you weren't with anyone last night, where were you?" Danny asks once Sally is out of sight. "And please don't ogle my girlfriend," he adds as a friendly reminder.

"Huh?" Maria replies, somewhat distracted. "Oh! Right, sorry, yes," she continues, blushing as she turns back to Danny. "I was at Lilac and Carol's last night. And sorry for ogling Sally."

"It's fine," Danny accepts. "I presume that means they're back on Avalice?"

"Yeah…" Maria eyes Danny suspiciously. "How did you know about that?"

"The two idiot hounds in the lab next to mine somehow managed to make a working interdimensional portal generator," Sally answers as she returns to the den, securing the belt of Danny's blue bathrobe in place. "No surprises for guessing who they managed to lose through it. I'm surprised they managed to get them back."

"They didn't," Maria corrects.

"So how did they get back?" Sally asks, confused.

"Long story," Maria answers. "It all started two days ago. After Blondie left‑"

"You're going to tell it now?" Danny interrupts.

"Yes," Maria confirms.

"We can swim later," Sally assures.

"In that case, I'll make drinks," Danny decides, disappearing back into the kitchen.

* * *

A few hours later, Carol arrives home in Dragon Valley to find Lilac waiting for her on the sofa in the treehouse den.

"While you were taking Maria home, I've been thinking," Lilac begins. "When we were locked up on _Sky Patrol_ , you asked when we became so dependent on a third friend: I've worked it out."

"Look, about that," Carol replies, sitting next to Lilac. "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just‑"

"I know," Lilac assures. "It's a good question nonetheless."

"So, what's the answer?" Carol asks.

"The Brevon Crisis was like nothing we'd been through before," Lilac begins, subconsciously taking hold of a hair whip. "Afterwards, with Milla around, we ended up spending so much time together as a trio that we never really properly repaired the damage from our argument in Jade Creek. And we've been so busy since she left on her own adventure that we _still_ haven't found the time. I think that today, we should‑"

The phone rings, interrupting Lilac. The dragoness sighs, then walks over to the phone, unplugs it from the wall, and returns to the sofa. "Where was I?"

"That could have been someone important," Carol informs.

"Or it could be someone asking me to advertise _Dragon Boost_ energy drink again," Lilac replies. "That last batch was so cringeworthy… Anyway, whoever they were, they're not as important as you. I owe you my life."

"And I owe you mine," Carol blushes.

"You owe Sash," Lilac reminds.

"Like I said, I owe you," Carol corrects.

Lilac embraces her friend in a warm hug. "You really think I can control her?"

"Absolutely," Carol assures, returning the hug.

For a few moments, the two friends remain in silence.

"Do you think we'll get a chance to visit… what was their planet called again?" Carol asks as the hug breaks.

"I'd like that," Lilac answers. "And the name of that planet is… um… darn it! They never told us, and we never asked!"

"It must have a name," Carol states. "Calling it 'Sonic's World' is gonna get old fast."

"You're right." Lilac thinks for a moment. "Tell you what: let's call it Mobius."

"That's a cool name," Carol agrees.


End file.
